Say Anything
by redhandedwickedlittlemachine
Summary: 40 DAYS AND COUNTING SEQUEL! 3 Months later, things have changed, and Aria is questioning all her decisions. Things are about to change again. RATING STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
1. I Still Stand Here Holding Up The Roof

**A/N: **And, here it is. The sequel to 40 Days And Counting… That said…the same rules apply: **This is still my story. I'm just sharing it with you.** Regardless, you guys have been so sweet, I'm not worried!

I can't promise it'll be updated at the same rank as 40 Days was. It most definitely won't be so frequently as it was in the end, because while I have this going now, I also have Lost That War up now, along with Heartbeat, and all 3 will demand my attention! Anyhow…READ ON.

**Also, the story picks up 3 MONTHS LATER. **This was planned before it was announced that season 3 of PLL was picking up on Labor day weekend. (At least, that's the rumour I heard/saw….I could be wrong.)

_Say Anything_

_Chapter 1_

_I Stand Here Holding Up The Roof  
>Cause It's Easier Than Telling The Truth<em>

Aria let out a sigh as she stuffed the last of her school supplies into her trunk. She was headed over to the Rosewood to drop off her supplies into her locker. School was starting tomorrow, and she'd had yet to get over to it and drop off her supplies.

The last three months had been a whirlwind. She'd spent the two weeks promised with Ezra in New York, and then they had come back for several weeks, before she had taken off to Florida for a week with her parents. It seemed that within a few mere moments, summer had completely flown by. She had a lot of great memories from it, but a part of her was glad to be going back to school. Going back to school meant that soon enough she'd be eighteen. Once she was 18, the whole world was wide open for she and Ezra.

She pulled her keys from her pocket and rounded the drivers seat door. She settled in the drivers seat and started the car after pulling on her seatbelt. Her tentativeness with driving and just being in a car in general had faded a bit over the course of the last few months, though she could still clearly remember the first time Ezra had driven after getting his new car when they had returned to Rosewood in June.

"_Are you sure you're pleased with this car?" Aria asked. It was a small, green Mazda jeep. "I mean you **are **going to be stuck with it for the next five to ten years."_

_Ezra chuckled, shaking his head at her. "There's more room in it. Why? Are **you **not pleased with it?"_

_She shrugged, staring at it from the outside with crossed arms. Adriana had dropped them off the lot an hour earlier and Ezra had insisted he was going to find the right car that day. He'd already signed the paperwork while Aria had gone next door and gotten herself a shake from dairy queen. When she had returned, he had been walking out, holding a new set of keys._

_She ran a hand through her hair. The heat was sweltering, and she desperately wanted to get into a cool place. "Can we go then?" _

_Ezra chuckled. He leaned over and kissed her temple before walking around the car. "Sure." _

_Aria opened the passenger door and stepped up inside of the jeep. She pulled her seatbelt on and then looked over at Ezra. He'd already pulled his door shut and just seemed to be sitting there. _

"_Ezra?" _

_She watched as the expression on his face changed to one she was sure she had never seen before. Tears filled his eyes, and he genuinely looked terrified. _

"_I don't know if I can do this," he said thickly. He gulped and bit the inside of his cheek. "I still have stitches. I- My wrist is broken. I don't know…"  
><em>

_Aria reached a hand over and rested it on his cast, turning in her seat to face him. "Just take a breath. It's going to be okay." _

_Ezra looked up at her, and held her gaze for several long minutes, while Aria conveyed pure and honest emotion towards him. Finally he nodded and reached out to turn the key in he ignition. He moved to back the car out of the space, but just barely after pressing on the gas, the car slammed to a stop as the brakes kicked in. Aria slammed back against the seat and winced, but she was familiar with his need to do that. She understood why he needed to be sure. _

She pulled up to Rosewood High School a few minutes later and parked her car in student parking before rounding the car and gathering her school supplies. She then headed for the doors. The parking lot, and the school for that matter, were relatively empty, except for a few lights on here and there.

She headed straight to her locker and then emptied the contents of her bags into her locker. She had gotten several removable shelves and placed them inside, settling her notebooks on top of them before she stood up and closed her locker. She turned around and looked around the empty halls.

Memories from the final weeks of the previous school year flooded her head. She remembered being shoved into lockers like it had just been the day before. She had a scar on her forehead to remind her of the day that all those girls had ganged up on her in the hallway.

_Aria settled outside of starbucks with a cup of coffee. It was her first day back in Rosewood, and she was still getting used to being able to go places without constantly worrying that she needed to look over her shoulder because A might be right there watching. The cops had found Maya's 'lair' a few days after she had left for New York, and from what Aria had heard, it had been rather creepy. _

_She took a drink from her frappaccino and looked around as people seemed to pass her by. She still needed to get over to Retta's and see what she could do about getting her job back. After the accident, she had never gone back, which was less than responsible. _

"_Aria?"_

_She turned her head, furrowing her brow at the sound of the familiar voice. Why would **she** want to talk to her?_

_Gina Ryan waltzed up, carrying several shopping bags filled with things from Hobby Lobby. Clearly stocking up on dorm room purchases. She seemed to force a smile as she walked over to Aria's table and sat down on the seat next to Aria's. _

"_Can I talk to you for a moment?" _

_Aria gulped. Could she really say no? Could she say **yes**? She wasn't sure either way. She just nodded instead. _

_Gina settled her bags on the ground and folded her hands in her lap. Whatever it was that she had to say was clearly serious to her. _

"_I um… I heard- No. I saw, about your car accident with Mr. Fitz on the news. I heard what happened. I just- I wanted to apologize for what I- what me and my friends did to you in the hallway. It wasn't right, and…" She trailed off and shook her head, looking down at the ground. _

_Aria wanted to take the high road. She wanted to take her apology, which seemed to be genuine, and just let the girl go. But she couldn't; not after all she hand Ezra had been through. _

"_I wish I could just tell you good riddance and leave it that, but I honestly can't. The last two months of my life were pure hell, and school should've been a reprieve from all that I was dealing with at home. But instead you and your friends made me honestly wish I was dead. I couldn't go home. I couldn't come to school. Where else was I supposed to go? I mean, aren't you aware of the fact that people are capable of actually being **in love** with each other? _

_I've never felt so guilty as I did those six weeks. I honestly felt entirely alone, and by the time you and your friends actually beat me up, its really sickening to me that I have to tell you that I felt like I **deserved **what happened. I was genuinely made to feel like a bad person, because I loved someone and it was away from the 'norm'."_

_"I-"_

_Aria shook her head, cutting her off. "I don't want to hear anymore from you. I **honestly **don't want to hear anything else. I just want you to leave, and I never want to have to hear from you again."_

_The older girl stared her down for several minutes before finally nodding. She stood up and walked away, leaving Aria to enjoy her coffee in peace._

She exhaled a sigh as she made her way back to the student parking lot. She was supposed to have done this with Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, but Spencer was going to be catching a train from Philadelphia back to Rosewood in the morning, and Hanna and Emily both had plans with their significant others.

Aria didn't entirely mind. When she was living with Ezra she had spent more than her fair share of time passing things up to spend time with he or Adriana instead. She'd been guilty of that for a good part of the summer as well. Over the past three months, she and Adriana had grown closer and closer. Friday night seemed to become a ritualistic date night for she, Ezra, Adriana and Hardy. Almost every week without fail, they met up somewhere and shared dinner and conversation. It was something that Aria thoroughly enjoyed.

As if on cue, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, and smiled at the picture that showed up on her screen. She tapped it and the text message opened.

_**Can we meet tonight?  
><strong>__**-Adriana**_

Aria sent back a quick reply, alerting her that she was going to stop by the apartment and that she would call her when she was leaving so that they could meet up. She tucked her phone back into her pocket as she walked up to her car. She bucked in and started the car before backing out of her space. She paid little attention to anything else besides the road and the minimal traffic she seemed to come across as she headed through town. She knew that Hollis had already started back up, but seeing that it was Labor Day, no one was actually there.

The drive to the apartment was short, and as she pulled up to it, she spotted lights on in the bedroom. Her heart throbbed and began to beat faster. Every time she was here lately, she desperately missed living with him.

Her choice to move back home had been a culmination of fear and the need to fix things with her parents. As much as she loved Ezra, she genuinely didn't want to lose her parents. And, as she was constantly being reminded of by her new therapist, you only ever get one set of parents. Regardless of how many good people came into her life, they were never going to be able to replace the fact that her parents had raised her for most of her life.

Ezra seemed to be okay with her choice when she had told him about it. After all, he'd been he one who had pushed her towards trying to fix her relationship with her parents if it was possible. They had struggled somewhat; mostly within the fact that he loved her and wanted her to be careful, but Aria didn't quite know how to do that. She had always been the kind of person that would dive head first into a burning inferno and risk being burned just to see if there was a good outcome.

She pushed her car door open and got out, grabbing her bag. It made her sad that on her one-year anniversary, she'd had yet to see Ezra, but she was hoping to make up for that with a few hours alone before she left to meet up with Adriana.

She walked up to the door and let herself in. She heard him call out from the bedroom, asking who had just walked in.

"It's me," she said as she walked over to the open doorway and peered inside. Ezra looked up at her and dropped a pen onto a memo pad he had lying open in front of him. He leaned back in his seat and folded his hands across his stomach. His cast was set to come off in just under two weeks.

"Hey." He murmured. "What's up?"

Aria shrugged. She walked over to him and he pushed his chair back. She sat down in his lap and draped her arm around his shoulders. Ezra looped his right arm around her waist and smiled up at her.

"Not much," she replied. "I just missed you. We didn't get to see each other today. That's not right."

Ezra chuckled. "Well you go back to school tomorrow, and I've already got to start preparing for the first test of the semester."

"I know, but it wasn't like this last year," she pouted. She exhaled a sigh. "I just want to spend a little time with you."

Ezra nodded. He tilted her chin towards him and kissed her chastely. Aria ran her fingers into his hair and kissed him back. Very quickly, the situation seemed to take a turn, and her fingers moved towards the buttons on the midnight blue button-down dress shirt he was wearing. Her lips moved towards his neck and Ezra lifted his head up, granting her access.

Even so, after a few seconds, he had to move his hands up to hers and pull them down. He moved her off his lap and stood up, though not for the reasons Aria was assuming. When she advanced towards him, he took a step back. Aria furrowed her brow at him and stood there for a moment before attempting to take another step towards him. Yet again, Ezra stepped back. She folded her arms over her chest at him.

"What's going on with you?" She asked, slightly frustrated.

Ezra shook his head, turning to walk out of the room. She followed after him and quickly grabbed his arm as they entered the sitting room. Ezra shook his head at her.

"Aria, don't."

She shook her head again. "What the hell is going on, Ezra? What's changed all of a sudden?"

He clenched his hands into fists as he stood here before her with a disgruntled look on his face. He was just as displeased as she was. He breathed several angered breaths and then finally spoke.

"What's changed is I'm not here for you to come and sleep with when you decide it's worth your time, and then to toss to the side when you realize there's something better to do!"

His words stung. She opened her mouth to say something in reply, but she honestly didn't know **what** to say. Did he _really_ think that's all he was to her? That he was just someone for her to come and screw when she wanted a lay, and that the rest of the time she tossed him to the side of the road?

"Wh…" She paused, shaking her head. "How long have you felt this way?"

Ezra shook his head, clearly trying to keep his emotions at bay. It honestly scared her seeing him this upset. She'd only ever seen him get this angry with Jackie, and he'd most definitely never looked at her the way he was now.

"A while," he admitted, attempting to take on a calmer tone. He clenched and unclenched his fists, shaking his head. "It seems that the only time you're around here is when it's convenient for you or when you want to sleep together. I knew that if you moved back home you wouldn't be here every day, but god-damn, Aria. Everything I was scared of seeing happened **has.**"

She gulped. She knew exactly what he was talking about when he said that. She knew he meant that he felt like her parents were controlling their relationship. That he felt like she was playing right into what they wanted, and giving them the upper-hand. She didn't feel that way, but she _had_ bailed on him quite a few times recently.

"What about Friday night?" She said when she finally found her words. "The faculty party that the whole department was invited to with their significant others?"

Ezra nodded. He'd been waiting for this to be brought up. There had in fact been a faculty party. Both Byron and Ella had attended. Ezra, however, had told Aria that plans had changed and that he wasn't able to bring her. He was willing to openly admit that he lied, because he had. He was angry. He was sick and tired of constantly feeling like he was being pushed to the side and thought of last. Things had been alright for a while after they had come back from New York. He saw Aria almost every day through the middle of July. But after she had gone to Florida with her family at the end of July, things had changed. Suddenly she was with them all the time. She was always calling him, saying that she had to move her plans around. But it was never because he parents told her she 'couldn't' go. No, instead, they were always conveniently planning something that they '_needed_' her to attend, or something where someone '_desperately_ _wanted_' to see her at.

And just like that, he was so easily placed on the backburner. It had become more and more frequent in the last few months, and it was making him sick to his stomach. When had he suddenly stopped mattering to her? There had been a time when they moved heaven and earth for each other. When they would have **died** for each other. A part of him struggled to believe that had only been twelve short weeks earlier.

Tears began to roll down Aria's cheeks as she folded her arms across her chest, and his heart shattered just that easily. He didn't want to hurt her. The _last_ thing he wanted was to see her cry. And yet she was standing right in front of him doing just that.

"It's not that I don't want you to be happy," he told her. He had to force the words past the thick knot forming in his throat. "I understand that you love your parents. I love that you want things to be right with them again, but I honestly don't believe that they really care whether this relationship works out in the end or not. I genuinely believe they'd rather see you with someone else, and they're doing everything they can to see this slowly come apart at the seams."

He didn't say it out loud, but the words _they're doing a pretty damn good job of it too, _ran through his head as they stood there.

"So what do you want me to do?" She cried. "Leave home again? Tell my parents I hate them again? Go right back to where we were in May? Back to being beat up in school and having my parents tell me that they want nothing to do with me?"

Ezra shook his head. Tears finally made their way over his eyelids, and several fell as he blinked. "I don't know what I'm saying, Aria. Other than the fact that it seems pretty clear that this relationship isn't a priority to you anymore."

_-  
>What happened to the plans we made<br>__And that contagious smile upon your face  
><em>_It's all begun to fade…  
>- <em>

Aria slumped down into a stool at the grill next to Adriana. She had long since wiped the tears from her face and pulled herself together since leaving the apartment. She desperately needed her older 'sister's opinion. That was exactly what Adriana had become to her in the last few months.

The older girl walked up to her a moment later and, in her natural mood, she squealed happily as she hugged Aria and exchanged hellos with her. She settled in the seat next to her and flipped through a menu for a moment before letting a waitress take their order. They both ordered cokes.

"Why so glum, gummy bear?" Adriana asked.

Aria chuckled at the mention of Adriana's nickname for her. "I…." She shook her head, looking over at Adriana. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be totally honest with me."

Adriana nodded. "Of course. What's up?"

Aria sucked in a deep breath. "Do you think that I've let my parents take control of my relationship with Ezra? That they've gotten the upper hand?"

Adriana sighed. "You talked with Ezra?"

Aria nodded. "He told you about all of this?"

Adriana nodded as well, reaching out and placing a hand over Aria's. "He's hurt, Aria. And I'd be lying to you if I said no to your question. I totally understand why you're doing everything you're doing, but I **do **agree with Ezra. He's been pushed out of the center of your world, and it's not because of school or something else that actually demands attention. It's because, in a very conniving way, your parents have managed to take control of the situation and put you in a position where, unfortunately, your relationship is teetering on an edge."

Tears filled Aria's eyes again and she whimpered. Adriana wouldn't lie to her. She knew she wouldn't. And if the last few months hadn't actually happened, she would probably be sitting in that stool, denying to herself what she was being told by her best friend and boyfriend. She'd deny it with every fiber of her being that her parents would do something so callous and cruel. But these were the same parents who had done nothing when she'd been beaten up at school. They were the same parents who had kicked her out of their home. They were the **same parents** who hadn't woken up to what they were doing to her until she'd been nearly killed by two people who barely knew her.

"I don't know if I can give them another chance," she finally said, letting her eyes rise back up to meet Adriana's. "If I leave gain, I don't know if I can give them another chance to make things right. After this…"

Adriana leaned forward and hugged Aria. The waitress settled their sodas in front of them and walked away. She pulled away a moment later and took a drink from her soda.

"You do what's right for you," Adriana told her. "Whether that's staying at home, or going back to your parents house and packing your bags again. Don't let anyone else's emotions guide your decision. I've seen you do it before, and I know that if push comes to shove and you have to leave home, that you will, and you'll persevere. I believe in you, Aria. I believe you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and I honestly believe that whatever choice you make, it'll be the right one."

Aria forced a watery smile. "Thanks."

The two of them sat together for a few minutes longer, and discussed small talk. Before long, Adriana had gulped down her soda and muttered something about having to get home to study. It was only after she had walked out of the grill that Aria realized the older girl had probably had something **she **wanted to talk about. She made a mental note to text her later and ask her what it was that she had needed to speak about.

She made her way back to her parents house with her plan very clear in mind. Once she actually arrived there, she wasted no time heading up to her room. It was as if she had rewound four months, and it was April again as she pulled duffel bags out of her closet and began to fill them. Only half her wardrobe was actually at her parents house, and she was grateful for that. It meant there was less to pack.

She wasn't sure if her parents knew what she was doing, or if they even cared. They hadn't stopped her when she'd breezed through the house and up the stairs without a word.

As it was, she had her bags entirely packed a few minutes later, and she picked up all four of them from the floor, juggling two on each shoulder. She made her way out of her room, only to be stopped by her brother in the hallway. He looked slightly surprised; but less surprised than she actually expected him to be.

"Leaving again?" He asked sorrowfully.

"Mike-"

He shook his head. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Aria. I always figured this was temporary. It was too easy for mom and dad to play with you and Ezra. I just hoped that they'd stop before you figured it out."

Aria gulped. She didn't want to leave like this, but she couldn't leave herself open and vulnerable to these games. "This doesn't change anything with us?"

Mike shook his head again. "We're still okay. Just…call, okay? Let me know you're safe?"

Her little brother was wise beyond his years, and she was so grateful for it. She leaned forward to hug him, and she welcomed his arms as they wrapped around her as well. Moments later though, the sentimental moment was over, and he had walked into his room. Remembering what she was doing, Aria made her way to the stairs and then bounded down them, with her sights set on the front door. She was just approaching it when she heard her name uttered from her mother's lips. She turned around, dropping two bags to the floor. She wasn't going to suffer a pulled muscle because her parents wanted to argue.

"You're leaving." The words were simple enough for Ella to utter, and Aria wasn't taken aback by the lack of surprise in them.

Her bottom lip trembled as she stared at her mother angrily. Her line of vision moved to her father as he came to stand in next to Ella. This really **was **like repeating last semester all over again. He and Ezra had signed on to teach a year-long course together, along with their own classes. Her mother would be teaching her AP senior English class.

"How could you," She said, deflecting her mother's question. "You know how I feel about Ezra, and you **knew** how I felt about everything when I agreed to come home. How could you do this to us?"

Her parents were without answers, and it wasn't good enough for her. She didn't bother to wait for them to try and stop her a second time. She picked up her bags from the floor and then opened the door. As she moved to step through the doorway, she looked back at them for a brief moment.

"I'm not coming back this time," she said with absolute certainty. "And don't be surprised this time when you get a letter in the mail. I'm done."

With that, she stepped out of the house and slammed the door shut behind her.

_-  
>You know I miss you<br>__You know I wish you missed me too  
>- <em>

By the time she reached the apartment, it was pouring outside. She'd crawled across town in the rain, too fearful to dive faster than a few miles an hour. She didn't mind driving at a regular pace in any other weather, but rain and snow were things she had yet to conquer since the car accident.

As it was, she was soaked by the time she found herself standing on the doorstep knocking for Ezra to let her in. When he finally opened the door, he just stared at her for several long moments. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was, and she didn't know what to say to him. There weren't any words of encouragement or anything else she could say to make this situation better.

Finally, he stepped out of the doorway and granted her access, taking two of her bags for her. He carried them into the bedroom and settled them on the floor before coming back out to the sitting room. Aria ducked into the bathroom long enough to slip out of her wet clothes and pull on the bathrobe she'd left there before she returned to the sitting room. Ezra sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him. She walked over and sat down next to him.

"What happened?" He asked.

Aria shook her head, not bothering to hold the tears in any longer. "How was I so blind to it, Ezra? I…."

She continued to shake her head, unable to find the words that seemed to sum up how she really felt. He cradled her into his arms and rocked back and forth, attempting to soothe her, though he let her continue to cry until she didn't have anything left in her to give.

"I didn't want to believe they'd do those things," she murmured after a while. "I thought after everything that happened…"

"Me too," he said as he pressed his lips to her temple. "I honestly believed your parents would do the right thing. Its why I waited so long to say anything."

Aria nodded. She finally lifted her head up to look at him. Ezra smiled sorrowfully at her and reached his hands up to brush the tears off her face.

"What do we do now?" She asked softly.

Ezra shook his head, shrugging. "The whole world is wide open. Whatever feels right to you will be the right thing. Don't let anyone change your mind for you. Make your choice entirely on what feels right to you."

Aria chuckled. "Did you talk to Adriana?"

Ezra shrugged. "Maybe." He took her hands in his own and squeezed them gently. "My point is, let your heart guide you. Don't let what may or may not happen be what causes you to decide. Just make your choice based on what your needs are. Everything else will fall into place."

Aria nodded, taking a deep breath. She stared down at a random spot on the floor. With no fear, and entire faith in herself, the next words out of her mouth were clear. "I need to call my lawyer in the morning."


	2. Stay With Me, Baby, Stay With Me

__**A/N: SOOOO **Sorry guys! I've been VERY busy. Last week, we were on vacation, and I didn't really have time to write. I also posted chapter 1 within hours of it being finished, whereas with 40 Days, I was writing chapter 5 when I posted chapter 1. That said... I'm getting back into my regular pattern, and vacation is over, so I'll be writing more! Anyhow...enjoy!

_Chapter 2_

_Stay With Me, Baby, Stay With Me_

Morning came with an entire list of things Aria needed to accomplish. She had phone calls to make, as well as an appointment with her therapist. She'd also gotten a job at a boutique in the mall earlier in the summer after amicably parting ways with her job at Retta's. All the traveling with her family and Ezra had gotten in the way of her work schedule, and she and Retta had settled on friendly terms with their parting. She had told Aria that if her life slowed down and she found herself in a position where she would like to re-apply that she was more than welcome, and Aria was grateful for it. She was also grateful that the woman whose coffee she loved so much had given such a glowing review of her when she'd listed her as a source for the job at the boutique she'd applied for.

Granted, the boutique was slightly more flexible. She only worked two hours a day during the school week, and on Saturday. Sundays were left to her leisure, and she'd been given Labor day off. Initially she had put in for it so she could spend the day with Ezra, but those plans had gotten thwarted by one thing or another getting in the way.

She tossed back the covers of her blanket and yawned as she tossed her legs over the side of the bed. Ezra had already left for Hollis; he had a full day of classes along with prep for the rest of the week. Homework wasn't rolling in yet, but he had to get his roster figured out for the quarter.

She walked out of the room and made her way to the bathroom. She'd showered the night before, so she opened up her makeup bag and began pulling things out. Once they were all arranged on the counter for her, she ran a brush through her hair and then clipped it up off her neck. She settled the brush back on the vanity and then went to work applying makeup.

Twenty minutes later, she walked back across the apartment and changed out of her sweats, into a pair of dark blue jean shorts. She walked over to the closet and pulled out a white camisole, and then grabbed a red and white striped t-shirt. She pulled both on and then grabbed a pair of white flip-flops from the floor and closed the closet.

She walked over to the bed and sat down on top of it. She was feeling odd. For all the mornings she'd woken up in the apartment in the last few months, she'd been living under a haze of belief. She had let herself believe that her parents really wanted what was best for her, when what they really wanted was what was best for themselves.

She pulled her laptop up from the floor where she'd left it the night before. She knew she and Ezra had a long way to go before they would get back to what they'd had just a few short months ago. She was well aware that their relationship was struggling. All that they'd been through should've brought them closer, but instead it had almost ripped them apart.

"_What does this mean for us?" She asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed. _

_Ezra looked up from the notebook he was currently scribbling curriculum ideas into. "What do you mean?"_

"I mean we were like a step away from breaking up a few hours ago. What does **this** mean for us?" Aria repeated.

_Ezra settled the notebook and his pen on the nightstand and offered a hand to her. Aria moved up towards him on the bed and curled up against his chest. She rested her hand over his t-shirt, feeling his heart beat under it. _

"_It means that we're going to talk, and talk, and then we're going to talk some more. We're going to be honest, and this time, there won't be any lies or secrets. If there's trouble at school or in the workplace, we'll discuss it. We will be honest about everything. And if needed, we'll involve the professionals. Okay?" _

_Aria nodded. "I've got an appointment with my therapist tomorrow as it is." _

She loaded up her social page and stared at the screen for a few moments. It wasn't as daunting to look at so much anymore. With 'A' dead and three months between the last time there had been anything to gossip about the Montgomery family, the new senior class had moved on to better subjects. Highest-popularity discussions were Noel and Jenna's growing relationship. Mona and Jason were dating, which Aria figured might've been the weirdest thing she'd ever heard of. She wasn't even aware that Mona had known who Jason was. Emily and Paige were going strong, which set chatter abuzz all on its own. And of course, Spencer and Toby were doing well. He had finally managed to find a full-time job over in Brookhaven, and had moved into an apartment there.

In a way, it almost made her feel inadequate. Hell, Hanna and Caleb were acting like they were going to be married before the end of senior year.

As she slowly pushed the down arrow on her keyboard, the pictures that lit up the screen were enough to lift her spirits. There were photos of all of her friends covering her pages. One was of Spencer on the beach in Santa Monica with Melissa, who was very pregnant at the time. She'd given birth to baby girl Taylor, August twenty-ninth. The one next to it was a picture of Spencer holding Taylor. She was wearing a loose, lacy grey top with a string that tied at the base of the waist in the back, and a black pleated knee-length skirt.

She scrolled down the page, looking at some of the other photos her friends had posted. Most of the girls who had posted photos were in bikinis. She spotted one of Hanna and Caleb in California. They were standing in front of the Hollywood sign and both smiling.

Another photo showed Emily and Paige with their mothers sitting on the edge of an indoor hotel pool. Even further down the page was a picture of she and Adriana in New York from the beginning of the summer. It seemed that their signature pose had been found, as most of their photos were of them with their heads pressed together, while Aria wrapped her arm around Adriana's waist, and Adriana's arm was always wrapped around Aria's neck. There were pictures of them all over the place. Aria's favourite of the two of them though, was a picture that was taken on Independence day. They were in Rosewood for the festivities, and Aria had agreed to a double date with Ezra, Hardy, and Adriana. The men had gone to get them something to drink while Aria and Adriana had been looking to find something to do to pass the time.

It took the men so long to actually get through a line for refreshments and return, that by the time they returned, the girls were playing one of the many hand-clapping games they'd known since grade school. The object of the game was to keep hand-eye coordination going while also testing the memory to name something new on each turn. Since the men had been gone, the girls had chosen a rather risqué topic; favourite sex positions. However, when the men suddenly returned a while later, the game had ended immediately. Adriana had grabbed both of Aria's hands and they'd pressed their heads together, caught in a fit of giggles. Both men had taken a photo with their cameras.

Of course, she also had favourite photos with Ezra, though there were only a few on her social media pages. Her most favourite photo of them was not, however it _was _her screensaver for her phone and computer. It had been taken at Serena's house the night before they had come back to Rosewood at the beginning of the summer. Hardy was grilling steak for all of them, and Aria and Ezra had been talking with Adriana and Serena about summer plans. The conversation had slowly dissipated however, when Serena had to take a phone call in the house. Adriana was distracted by Hardy a few moments later, and left Ezra and Aria to their own accord.

There had been a chill in the air since it was early summer, and Aria had snuggled her arms under the comforts of Ezra's Hollis sweater as they stood their. Neither of them had been aware while they were leaning into each other, whispering about mundane things, that Adriana had taken a photo. In it, Ezra's broken hand was clear in frame as his fingers brushed against the side of Aria's jaw. His thumb was just below her bottom lip, and their heads were pressed together. They hadn't even known about the photo until a few days later when Adriana had gone and made up a few prints of recent photos she'd taken. Aria had all but demanded every copy of the photo. She had kept a copy in a frame on the nightstand next to her bed regardless of where she slept. Everywhere she went, that picture went with her.

She pulled down the top to her laptop and then moved off the bed and grabbed her bags from the floor. She headed out of the bedroom and grabbed her keys from where she had left them on the table the night before. She walked out of the apartment and locked up before heading to her car. She settled her things in the passenger seat and then buckled in and started the car.

She pulled out of her parking space and headed over to Retta's. She stopped off long enough to get herself a large coffee before finishing her drive to school. When she pulled up, she found a stall next to Spencer's car and pulled into it. She turned her car off and unbuckled before grabbing her things and getting out. She passed through a myriad of students gathering near the doors; surely most of them were incoming freshman and returning sophomores.

She pushed through the doorways and headed towards her locker. Spencer was standing nearby, chatting with Hanna and Emily. Aria waved to them as she reached her locker. She opened it and pulled a fresh package of pencils and pens from it and stuffed them into her bag before taking a sip from her coffee and turning to close her locker.

"How are we this morning?" She asked as she leaned against her locker.

Spencer shrugged. "Tired. Taylor was screaming _all_ night last night."

Aria laughed. She hugged Spencer and murmured a cheerful apology, though Spencer's mood was quickly uplifted as she pulled her phone out and began showing them photos of the baby girl. The rest of their short break before class would start was quite similar. They went in a circle, discussing how the last few days of their summer break had gone as they walked towards AP English 4. They all had it yet again for first period, although then their studies broke up quite a bit into different directions. Once again, Aria had most of her classes with Spencer, but she also had a few with Hanna too. She only shared one other class with Emily; calculus. She wasn't quite sure how they were going to pass that together, but she was determined to try.

"So how was your _anniversary,_" Spencer said in a teasing voice. Aria rolled her eyes, walking into the classroom.

"Less than stellar," she said, ignoring her mother's attempt to catch her eyes. She only walked over and sat down in her desk from the previous year. Emily sat to her right as she always had, and Spencer sat in front of her while Hanna sat on her left.

"Okay, I thought the ice cold temperatures with your parents had become like a furnace in the last few months," Hanna said, looking up towards Mrs. Montgomery.

Aria shook her head as she reached into her bag and pulled out a clean teal notebook. _English 4 _was scrawled in swirly letters over the cover in fat black marker, as well as Aria's name in the corner, though it was with a fine-tipped pen instead.

"It's stupid, and I don't want to talk about it here. Things are just done with my parents. Let's leave it at that. Okay?"

The girls didn't seem to really want to, but at Aria's request, they dropped the subject. They spent the final minutes of freedom talking about Emily's plans to share anchor with Paige for the upcoming swimming season. And then the bell rang.

As soon as it did, the girls turned their attention up to the front of the room. Ella called the rest of the class into order, and then called them up to the front of the room and began making her way up and down the rows, tapping on desks as she read off names. Aria was in the first row, third desk. Also known as the center of the room. Spencer was one row to her right, one desk back. Emily was two rows to her left, two desks back. Hanna was one desk over to her left.

She exhaled a frustrated breath as she sat down in her desk, but she was grateful that it was the first day of school. Her mother would be required to spend the hour talking about the curriculum for the semester, along with papers that would need to be signed, and that was what she did. Aria scrawled absolutely need-to-know information into her notebook and kept her eyes staring out the window as her mother spoke, and then distributed text books to each of them.

When the bell rang, she was the first to shoot up out of her seat and make her way out of the classroom. She didn't want to her find herself in a position where she had to stay and listen to her mother discuss excuses.

Hanna bustled out of the room behind her a few moments later, though she was talking with Mona. Aria only waited a few moments before deciding to head off to class alone. She took a seat at one of the monitors in the media center and loaded up her screen before looking over the class syllabus her mother had given her. She already had everything on it, since she'd been told what she'd need in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year.

The rest of the morning passed in much of the same fashion. Her teachers talked about what would be taught over the next four months and passed out papers that showed the things they needed. It always baffled Aria that a school supply list was sent out in July, when half of the things needed weren't actually told to you until the first day of school. Granted, yes, there were the mandatory things like notebooks, red pens, and obviously pencils and folders, but then you got into the school year and found out you need five packs of dividers instead of three, and blue pens, not black.

By lunch, she had managed to avoid Ella entirely. She sat with Hanna, Emily, and Spencer and they chatted about their classes. Aria let Mike pull her aside in the last few minutes before the bell rang, and they discussed her plans about what she was going to do, now that she was out of her parents home yet again.

When the bell rang, she made her way off to World History with Spencer, which was another repeat speech from the five she'd already had that morning, and the distributing of text books. She was grateful when the bell rang once more, and she headed off to her last class of the day. It was Botany, which she was taking with Spencer and Hanna. She'd never really had a green thumb, but she was interested to learn.

The day finally came to a close, and she headed out of school, still ignorant to her mother. Her phone rang as she approached her car, and it was Ella. Aria only pushed the ignore button as she settled in her car. She sat down in the drivers seat and pulled her seatbelt on before dialing a number she hadn't called in four months. Like it often had in the past, it went to a switchboard, and then to voicemail. She left the man a message and then hung up and placed her phone back in her bag and started her car.

She headed towards the mall and then parked in one of the few open employee parking lots. She turned her car off and then grabbed her things and moved them to her trunk, stuffing her phone into her pocket.

She walked into the mall and made her way to the boutique she worked in. The manager was there issuing orders to a few of the other girls who were coming in for their shifts. Aria walked over punched in and then headed towards one of the registers and took over for one of the girls who had finished her shift.

Aria didn't mind her job at the boutique. Most of the girls were around her age, and when she had gotten her job there, she found that she didn't know most of the girls employed. There were also a few boys, but she rarely ever saw them. And who could blame them? It was all girls clothing and almost entirely girls working there. What initially looked like a great place to meet girls usually quickly turned into a situation that was too awkward to work in. In the off chance the guys actually met a girl who they liked, the girls were usually either in a relationship or not interested for one reason or another. Most commonly, they didn't want to cause friction that would lead to someone losing their jobs, which often led to those boys leaving shortly thereafter.

She worked through her shift quietly, grateful that there weren't any new boys around. Almost every guy that had ended up working there since she'd gotten a job had hit on her at least once. She was always quick to make it clear that she was in a relationship, whether it was dropping a comment about meeting Ezra for dinner, or heading to one city or another for a mini vacation with him.

As she punched out, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She'd texted Adriana in a brief lull of work when she wasn't rushing to make the line shorter from all the people in doing some late back-to-school shopping. She had seen her fair share of fellow students coming into buy different outfits.

The message on her phone alerted her that Adriana was in the food court. As she stepped out of the boutique, she turned towards the hallway that led to the food court, passing by several stores as she did. She considered stopping by a few of the stores after she was finished, but in the mean time, she kept her mind set on Adriana. She knew that whatever it was that Adriana had wanted to discuss the night before was still on her mind, and she wanted to be there for her like she had been for Aria the previous night.

When she stepped into the food court, she spotted Adriana standing at the pretzel stand, talking with the girl ringing up what must've been her order. From her body language and demeanor, she seemed to know the girl. Aria wondered if maybe they had a class together. She walked over to the older girl and smiled as the girl behind the counter asked if she could get her anything.

"I got you a coke and cinnamon pretzel," Adriana said quickly. "That's your usual order, right?"

Aria nodded as Adriana took her change from the girl behind the counter, and they exchanged goodbyes.

"A friend?" Aria asked.

"We have a psych class together," Adriana said. "Which is _so _much better since that psycho got fired."

Aria chuckled. She spent very little time thinking about Jackie these days. There was a pending trial that she and Ezra were supposed to testify in in October, but it was something she wasn't very worried about. They had Adriana's admitted confession, as well the evidence that Maya had conveniently documented, showing both their involvement in the accident. It comforted Aria to know that the two people who had wanted her dead a few months earlier weren't something she had to worry about anymore.

She and Adriana sat down at a table in the middle of the food court, and they both began to munch on their pretzels. After Aria had chewed down a few small pieces of her pretzel, she took a sip of her coke and then settled it on the table and folded her hands around it.

"So what's up?" Aria finally asked. "You still seem like whatever it is that's getting to you, isn't getting any better."

Adriana shook her head, running a hand through her hair. She had cut her bangs so that they now curled around the side of her face, and her hair was very wavy from lack of straightening, combined with the crazy humidity.

"Hardy's been weird the last few weeks," she admitted. "I haven't said anything because I kept thinking maybe I was just over thinking things, and maybe it would just go back to normal. But it seems like the longer I've been waiting, the more distant and secretive he's getting."

"Wait, wait, wait," Aria said, shaking her head. "I thought everything was great with you guys. You moved in together and everything-"

Adriana chuckled, but Aria knew she was upset.

"I thought we were good, too. We seemed to be in a good spot for so long, and…I don't know. Maybe I was an idiot, getting into a relationship with my brother's best friend."

"Hey now," Aria said, shaking her head. "You didn't come six months to throw in the towel. I know how much you love Hardy, and I'm pretty sure I can figure out how much he loves you. Maybe he's just stressed out by something. Have you tried asking?"

Adriana shook her head. "I've been too afraid to ask. I'm afraid he's going to say it's me."

Aria gave a soft smile. "I doubt that it's you."

Adriana gave a small laugh as tears brimmed in her eyes. "I just don't want to lose him, you know? I feel like this is what's really right for me, and I love him. _And _I really don't want Ezra to get hurt because of us."

Aria reached a hand out and squeezed Adriana's. "Think positively. Be open and honest with Hardy, and I'm sure he will be with you, too. And, if nothing else… You know Ezra and I will both always be here for you."

Adriana smiled up at her. "I knew there was a reason I liked you from the moment I met you."

Aria giggled and shook her head.

_These feelings I can't take no more_

_This emptiness in the bottom drawer_

Aria dropped her bags onto the floor near the dresser. She was glad that the first day of school hadn't brought her any homework. With any luck, she'd be able to coast through her senior year with relative ease, and still make good grades.

Ezra looked up from the stack of papers on his desk at her. He still had his tie around his neck, which told Aria that he had only arrived home a few minutes before her. He smiled wearily at her and then walked over and kissed her forehead before walking out of the bedroom. She turned around watched as he crossed the room and headed into the kitchen.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Alright." His voice traveled back through the kitchen and filled the room as he spoke. "Long, more than anything. Classes just started, and I've already got to start giving out homework. I'm ready for Christmas break already."

Aria laughed. She knew that in a few short weeks she was going to be wishing the same thing. It was one of the reasons she couldn't wait to graduate. Life was going to be so much easier when she got into college.

"How was class with your mom?" He asked as he came out of the kitchen carrying a bag of takeout.

Aria shrugged. "I'm sure about as stiff and awkward as it was with my father. We didn't say anything to each other."

Ezra nodded. He walked over to the room and smiled briefly at her as he stepped into the room and walked over to the desk. He began pulling out cartons and handed them to Aria as they stood there for a few minutes.

"You sure you're okay with everything that's about to happen?" He asked.

Aria looked around the room, exhaling a sigh. "I feel like we've had this conversation before."

Ezra nodded, pulling the tabs open on one of the cartons. "Except last time, you changed your mind. Are you sure that's not going to happen again."

"Hey," Aria argued. "I'm pretty sure you were the one telling me not give up on my parents a few months ago."

Ezra let go of the carton and bit his tongue for a moment before looking up at her. "Yes. Give them a chance. See if you could work things out with them. _Not _let them weasel their way into everything we've built up and all but rip it apart. I mean you **do**understand how close we came to losing everything, right?"

Aria shook her head. She could feel her eyes starting to prep themselves for the tears that were trying to make their way up, but she didn't want to cry. Not in front of Ezra, and not like this.

"Is this what every night is going to be like now?" She asked. "Constant bickering and hating each other because I made choices in an attempt to keep from losing my parents entirely? I **know** I made some stupid choices this summer, but I would _never_let them pull us apart. I refuse, Ezra."

"They almost _did,_Aria." He said firmly. "I watched you pull further and further away from me, and it seemed like there was no chance of getting you back. I was so sure last night when we had that argument and you left, that you weren't coming back."

"Then you underestimated me," she said.

Ezra nodded. "Maybe so. But just answer me one question."

Aria sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine. What?"

"If my sister hadn't told you flat out that she thought I was right, would you have still come back? Or would have you continued to think I was just paranoid?"

"I _never_ said you were paranoid," Aria told him. Her bottom lip trembled as tears finally started running down her face. "But I wanted **desperately **to believe that my parents really did love me as much as they claimed to. Something changed the day of the accident, back in May. I was _so _sure that they were finally coming around, and I wanted so badly to believe that it was because they wanted me to be happy. Am I wrong for wanting those things?"

"No," Ezra said. He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "You're _not_. I just want to know that it's not going to be the deciding factor of our relationship. Maybe you didn't see it because you were too close to it all, but I'm positive that your parents wanted their opinion to be what decided whether this relationship continues. And it _kills_ me that they won't be fair to you. I hate that, because of me, you don't have them in your life. It's not fair."

"So then why are we still arguing about it?" Aria asked as a tear rolled down her face.

Ezra shook his head. "I'm scared. All of this terrifies me because I know that you're supposed to be the person I'm meant to be with, and I don't want to lose that."

Aria exhaled a heavy breath and rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Ezra wrapped his around her back and rubbed his hands up and down. He kissed the top of her head.

They parted a few moments later, and he turned back to the food, continuing to pull out cartons and open them, while Aria changed into a pair of pajama shorts and one of his old t-shirts. Afterwards, she took some of the cartons from him and settled them on the nightstand on her side of the bed. She headed out of the room long enough to grab a few bottles of water from the fridge, and then walked back in and sat down on the bed. Ezra sat down next to her, shoving a fork topped with sweet and sour chicken into his mouth.

"So what's up with my sister?" He asked.

Aria shook her head, picking up a spoonful of rice. "She's afraid Hardy is bored with her and is going to dump her."

Ezra seemed to be holding back a chuckle. "Figures that's what she'd think is what's going on."

Aria furrowed her brow, crossing her legs as she swallowed her rice. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ezra shrugged, settling down one carton and picking up another. "Adriana worries so much that she's going to lose him because of how he's been in the past. She worries too much."

"So you don't think he's cheating on her?" Aria asked. "Even though you know what he's been like in the past?"

Ezra nodded, turning his head to look at Aria. "Hardy is my best friend. We lived in the same dorm together for four years. I know his habits and quirks better than my sister probably does. Which means I'd know if he was sleeping around with some other girl."

"So what **do** you think he's doing?" Aria asked.

Ezra shrugged. "That, I haven't figured out yet. Whatever it is must be pretty spectacular, considering every length he's going to, to keep it a secret. It's probably a vacation over Thanksgiving weekend or something to Nashville. Dre's always wanted to go there."

"Thanksgiving is almost three months away," Aria said.

Ezra nodded. "Great time to start making plans."

"So what are _we_ doing for Thanksgiving, then," she asked.

Ezra shrugged. "My mom is expecting me in New York. I didn't really know what you'd be doing, considering how things have been lately. I figured we'd play it by ear. But, if everything follows through in the next few weeks, then I'm sure you'll be in New York with me."

Aria nodded. She wanted to allow her feelings the permission they needed to be hurt, but she knew that Ezra's feelings were warranted, so instead she let the remainder of their time spent eating dinner be consumed by polite conversation. When they were finished, Ezra got off the bed and slipped off his work clothes. He got back into the bed clad simply in a pair of boxers. He slipped back between the blankets and looked over at Aria. She curled up against him, tracing her finger in light circles over the fading scar in the middle of his chest; the scar that had been caused by their accident. She had a few of them herself, but none were quite as clear as the one on his chest.

After a while she looked up at him. He looked down at her and smiled before looking back up at the TV. In mid-June, they'd finally splurged for a smaller one for the bedroom. They rarely actually watched it, but it was still nice to have for the occasional night.

"Hey," Aria murmured after a while. Ezra looked down at her again.

"Hmm?"

She slipped her hand up into his hair and pulled his head down to her, kissing him softly on the lips. Ezra dropped the remote, which he held in his right hand, and wrapped his arm around her body, pulling her closer to him. Aria moved further up on the bed, and kissed him deeper. His tongue pushed into her mouth, dominating the situation quickly.

They parted a few moments later, breathlessly. Aria folded her fingers between his and smiled.

"I love you."

Ezra smiled back at her, letting his free hand run up her shirt as he leaned back down to kiss her. "I love you too. And I've missed you every minute you haven't been here."


	3. In Our Secret World We Were Colliding

**A/N: **Miss me? I've missed this story too! The good news is that I've jumped the first hurdle with Lost That War, which means Say Anything and Heartbeat are finally getting some attention! That said… I give you chapter 3. I know updates have been a bit wonky lately, but I promise I'm going to do everything I can to make sure things don't stay that way. In the meantime… I give you chapter 3!

_Chapter 3_

_In Our Secret World We Were Colliding_

The first few weeks passed by with relative ease. Aria was once again working with her lawyer to get things in motion to become officially emancipated. Things were still tense with her parents, and the communication was minimal, but the rage that they had all carried around in May seemed to have lowered substantially. Ezra and Byron were able to work professionally without wanting to tear each other's throats out, and Aria didn't feel entirely uncomfortable as she sat in front of her mother every day and listened to her teach. Each of them was terrified of saying that things might actually be going well, but they seemed to be.

Aria's work schedule had slowed as well, though it had more to do with everyone telling her that she needed to focus more on her studies than anything else. She was barely making three hundred dollar paychecks, which made her crazy. It was hardly spit compared to what she'd been working at Retta's, though she knew that she'd been working herself to the bone then, too. Ezra continually told her that she needed to focus more on keeping her grades up than getting bills paid, but Aria felt bad knowing he was shelling out money left and right for everything they needed while she wasn't really paying for anything. She tried her best to help out, but every time she attempted to slip cash to him without actually handing it to him, he found a way to return it. It was beginning to drive her up a wall.

October was looming on the horizon though, and she was quickly stuffing away her summer wardrobe in favor for jeans and warmer boots. Tank tops were being placed into boxes with Ezra's summer clothing and placed in the guest bedroom closet while they both started pulling out sweaters and winter clothes that had been tucked away since mid-April. Aria felt a bittersweet sense settling over her as she searched through the boxes she'd finished bringing over from her parents house the previous week. Her room in their house was completely bare in way of possessions. She had all of her pictures and crafts that she'd created, as well as anything she'd bought for herself over the past few years. All that actually sat in her room now was her bed, stripped of its coverings, her dresser, which was void of everything, and her desk, which had only had a letter lying on top of it for her parents. It was a parting note, that carried the same bittersweet tone that Aria felt.

She couldn't help but feel like the last six months were a test to her. She and Ezra had watched their relationship go through the toughest problems that they had ever faced, and they had persevered. Their relationship seemed to be doing better as well. She had worried that after she'd moved back in, that they wouldn't be able to work things out, but everything seemed to be getting better.

She sunk onto the couch in Dr. Sullivan's office. It was comforting to be back in the woman's office. She rarely saw her with the other girls anymore, but since the car accident, it helped to be able to talk about everything that had happened. Aria wasn't quite sure what she was going to do once she was emancipated, though. Therapy was nearly two hundred dollars a session, and considering she was seeing Dr. Sullivan almost every week, she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to continue at that rate once her emancipation papers went through. She was already planning to put in for state insurance, but with the state of the economy, she wasn't holding out much hope for a quick answer, and working part-time didn't offer any benefits.

She forced a smile on her face as Dr. Sullivan entered the room and looked up at her. Dr. Sullivan smiled back at her as she took a seat in the chair she usually sat in for sessions. She picked up a file off the table and opened it up to a fresh page. She scrawled the date across the top and then looked back up at Aria.

"How're you doing today?" "Alright," Aria replied back softly. She had her hands folded in her lap.

"Just alright?" Dr. Sullivan asked. "It's the four month anniversary of your car accident. You've got a lot of very important things coming up soon, as well as all the major holidays. You're not stressed at all?" Aria shrugged, looking down at her hands. She pushed one thumb nail under the other and picked absentmindedly at any dirt that might be bedded under her nails. "I don't know, I guess. I mean, things are getting better with Ezra, but I'm worried that they're going to get bad again." Dr. Sullivan nodded. "Keep in mind that you're in a very adult situation, and even though you've been through more than the average seventeen year old, there is still room to make mistakes. If Ezra's love for you is true and genuine, then you two _will _find a way to work things out and make it over this hurdle." "Is there any way the two of us could share a session?" Aria asked. "I just- I know things are going to get stressful when this trial starts next month, and I just want to make sure we're in an okay spot."

Dr. Sullivan nodded. "We can definitely schedule something. But let's talk about the trial. You're both being called as witnesses?"

Aria nodded. "I don't really understand why we're _both_ needed. it's the same story. She cut the brakes, screwed up my seatbelt, and we ran a red light." Dr. Sullivan nodded. "And I'm sure Ezra is swimming in hospital bills." Aria nodded. She tried not to think too much about the physical repercussions of their car accident. They both had suffered with post-concussive syndrome, but Ezra definitely had it worse than she did. She'd had her fair share of headaches, blurry vision and sleep issues. and the occasional bout of lightheadedness, but she managed pretty well, and it seemed to get better after a few weeks.

On the other hand, Ezra had days where his memory was like an etch-a-sketch that had been used too much. He had to write most things down in order to remember them. His doctors kept promising that things would get better over time, but the healing seemed to be taking its time. She only hoped that it wouldn't take years to return to what it used to be.

The rest of the meeting seemed to pass by swiftly, and then Aria left the practice and headed over to the grill. She ordered a bacon cheeseburger meal for herself and then left the grill and got into her car and drove back to the apartment. When she got there, Ezra had already arrived home. She grabbed her things and then headed inside.

Once inside the apartment, she headed into their bedroom and settled her bags on the bed before she pulled off her boots. Ezra pulled his arm down from where it was resting over his eyes and looked down at her as Aria moved off the bed and turned to face him.

"Headache?" She asked.

Ezra shrugged, opening and closing his hand a few times. He was in physical therapy three times a week to strengthen the muscles in his wrist. "_Tension_ headache. I've been spending half the day trying not to vomit."

Aria frowned. She grabbed her bags and settled her things against the nightstand before settling her bag of food on top of the table. She laid down on the bed and looked over at Ezra. "Anything I can do to help? Even if it's just laying here?"

Ezra turned over and rested his head on Aria's chest. She wrapped her left arm under him while her right moved into his hair and gently massaged his scalp. It always seemed to help whenever he was stressing out.

"How was work?" Aria asked softly. She could feel Ezra's breathing slow, and his body seemed to relax in the slightest as she moved her fingers back and forth on his head.

"It didn't totally suck," he replied softly. "Your father surprised the hell out of me."

"How?" Aria asked.

Ezra was quiet for a few moments, and then shifted his head. "Sorry, what were we talking about?"

"You said my father surprised you today." She said.

"Oh. Right." He paused for a moment again. "My head was pounding when we were supposed to start our shared class. He offered to cover the class."

Aria raised her eyebrows, looking down at him. "And you trusted him?"

"Believe me, I'd be the last person to in any other case, but I could barely see straight by the time the class was supposed to start. I went and laid down in my office until I was sure I could manage the drive back. I've been in here since."

Aria sighed, tilting her head down to press her lips to his head as she brushed her fingers through the curls in his hair. "I hate that she still manages to find a way to screw up our lives from a jail cell."

Ezra closed his eyes and shook his head, pushing slowly up off the bed. He'd taken Tylenol a while earlier, and it seemed to be kicking in finally. "I don't understand why she made the choices she did. Sometimes I wonder how we ever had the relationship we did, for as long as we did. I wish I could tell you why she wanted to hurt us so badly, but all I _can _say, is that she wasn't the same person when I was with her. I don't know what made her crack. I don't really like to live life believing that everyone has a breaking point, but after all I've seen in the last twenty-three years…"

Aria sat up and brushed her hand down his cheek, smiling at him. "Nothing that has happened has been your fault."

Ezra shook his head at her, taking on a disbelieving look. "I'm not sure of that anymore. I used to think that we were supposed to fight through all the odds because it was ultimately going to make this relationship that much stronger. But the accident, and the fighting with your parents, and all the mind games… I'm not sure I believe that it's possible to be entirely innocent in this anymore."

"You _can't _think that Jackie's actions are your fault," she insisted.

Ezra shook his head again. "Aria, I knew her from the first week in the dorms. I knew _everything_ about her. I knew her family, I knew her friends… I knew the everything she wanted me to know, and even the things I probably didn't need to know. When that relationship ended, I was sure that she'd given up on it. And when I realized that she only wanted me back because she was jealous, that made me sick. Its why I did everything I could to fight her advances and push her away. I thought it was the right thing to do."

"As compared to what? Giving in to what she wanted and being with her?" Her tone of voice was disgusted.

"No. I-" Ezra shook his head. "I don't know. I don't want to argue about her. She was enough of an issue _before _the accident. Let's not make her one now, please. I assure you, she would _enjoy_ knowing that we've had trouble these past few weeks."

Aria nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was argue, and it was clear that this was certainly headed in that direction. Instead, she changed the subject. "Can I ask you something else?"

Ezra nodded. "Anything."

"Why didn't you ever say anything when my parents were getting between us?" She asked.

Ezra stared at her for a long moment. "I did. You just never heard me."Aria's brow furrowed in confusion. "What…H-What do you mean, I didn't _hear_ you?"

Ezra exhaled a breath and shook his head at her. "Not the way that you think I'm saying it. But you and I would make plans, and then at the last minute, they would change. Does this sound familiar? 'No, that's _fine. _It's your choice.'"

Aria's face fell as she realized what he was saying. She stared down at the blanket on the bed.

Ezra grabbed one of her hands and cupped her face with his other hand. "I wanted your choices to be **your** choices, Aria. I never held that against you. What upset me was how easily you took for granted what we had here. I've been the accessory in a relationship before, and all I wanted was for you to be honest with me. I wanted you to know you really wanted to be in this relationship because you **wanted **to be in it. I didn't want you to stay because it was more convenient than telling me you didn't have the time for me anymore. But it never meant I loved you any less. Okay?"

Aria nodded slowly. "I just wish I'd known that's how you felt."

"You deserved the chance to find out whether you could have the best of both worlds," he told her. "I've told you before, if my father showed up here and had changed and seemed like he cared, I'd want to see if I could make it work. I always understood your desire. It was just the blindness that you seemed to have that didn't make sense to me."

She smiled sadly at him, and tears quickly blurred her vision. "I just wanted it all to work, y'know? I wanted my parents to see what I saw." "But are you going to be okay if that never happens?" Ezra asked her. "I honestly need to know if you'd be alright with the idea that they might never approve of this."

Aria pressed her lips together and looked down at the blanket covering their bed. "Okay with it? No."

Ezra opened his mouth to speak, but she was quicker as she looked up at him.

"But I can learn to live with it," she finished. "If there has to be a choice, then the ultimatum answers itself. There is no choice."

Ezra nodded, exhaling a small sigh of relief.

Letting the subject be pushed to the side, they settled on eating their dinner, and then Aria pulled out her books for school and began to work. She had a major paper due already in her creative writing course, as well as AP English, Calculus, and World History. Her spring semester would shape up to be much more laid back however, if she could pull through the next three months with strong grades.

Several hours passed with relative silence, except for Ezra typing on the keys of his laptop while Aria scribbled in her notebooks. Occasionally she muttered something to herself as she read from her textbooks, or Ezra hummed something as he worked diligently on his laptop, but for the most part, they were both quiet.

She looked up at him as she stuffed her calculus textbook into her bag. He was humming a familiar melody, but in a lower key, it took a few moments for the song to register in her head. But just that quickly, he had stopped. Aria smiled and picked it up where he left off, singing the next few lines.

"_why you gotta tell me that  
><em>_I'm looking good, don't know what  
><em>_You were thinking, you were doin'  
><em>_Movin' in for a hug…"_

Ezra turned around in his seat and smirked at her as she finished out the last few lines of the chorus.

"_Like you don't know I'm coming unglued  
><em>_Why you wanna,  
><em>_Why you gotta  
><em>_Make me keep wantin' you?"_

Eventually, Aria finished her school work and then placed her things alongside the bed and laid back against the pillows as she continued to watch Ezra work. She twisted the ring on her finger that Ezra had gotten her for her birthday as she sat there.

"So have you figured out this big secret that Hardy is keeping from all of us," Aria asked as she sat there.

Ezra shook his head, pulling down the lid of his laptop. He pushed up from his seat and then pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. "Nope. I figured if he wants me to know, he'll tell me at some point."

Aria nodded as she moved off the bed and walked around it to the dresser. She pulled her own shirt over her head and then began to unbutton her pants when she felt strong arms wrap around her body and hot lips enclose over her shoulder. She turned her head as she pressed a hand to Ezra's cheek and brought his lips to hers. Her lips parted after mere moments and gave his tongue passage to the inside of her mouth while his hands roamed over her stomach, up to her breasts. He slipped his hands under the confines of her bra, and then their lips parted as Aria lifted her arms over her head.

Not bothering to unclasp the bra, Ezra simply pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor before he pulled her jeans down off her body, leaving the both of them only standing in their underwear.

Aria wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands moved down to her butt for a moment, and then he gripped her thighs and lifted her up. Aria wrapped her legs around his hips as he lifted a knee and placed them both on the bed. Aria pulled him down with her as he placed her down on the bed. His right hand rested on her hip while his left moved up and down over her right arm, which was still wrapped around his neck while her fingers tugged gently on his hair.

His right hand moved between them, and through the fabric of her panties, pressed down on her clitoris. Aria tilted her head up and Ezra's lips started making a trail down her neck as she moaned. He quickly pushed aside the lacy fabric and wasted no time pushing a finger inside of her. She let out a breathy, guttural moan and dug her fingers into his hair. Ezra smiled and added a second finger quickly, curling them upwards. Aria dug her nails into his scalp. His lips were like burning coals on her body, and she let out a cry of pleasure as he pressed his thumb up against her clitoris.

"Pl- ease, Ezra," she begged him.

He pulled his lips away from her neck and looked up at her for a brief moment before removing his fingers from inside her. Aria whimpered at the loss of contact, but his hands moved to remove her panties as she pulled his face back to hers, letting her tongue reach out in search of his. Seconds later, her panties were gone, and she reached up only long enough to push his boxers off his hips before her hand shot out for the nightstand.

Ezra beat her to it though, and a few seconds later, his hand folded into hers, pressing a foil package into it. Aria could feel his stiffness pressing against her leg as she pulled her hands free from his and tore the package open. She reached down between them as she stared him in the eyes dead-on and rolled the condom down to the base of his shaft. Just for a brief measure of payback, she gave him a quick squeeze and watched as a shudder rippled through his body.

His fingers were barely on her thigh before she lifted and wrapped it around his hip, pulling him to her. Ezra aligned his hips with hers and then thrust into her in one quick movement as his lips captured hers again heatedly. Aria's fingers were in his hair again as he thrust in and out of her. He moved his hands down to her legs and pulled them away from his body, pushing them as far apart as Aria was comfortable. The deeper thrusts gave them a greater sense of pleasure, and in minutes, Aria was clinging to the sheets as she cried into his mouth. Her body rose up against his as her orgasm crashed through her. Each continued thrust from Ezra drew more breathy moans from her as her whole body shook. He reached his orgasm a few moments later with one final thrust, bringing her to a second orgasm.

He gently dropped against her, and they both laid there with their eyes clothed, trying to catch a breath.

"Just like whiskey," Aria said breathlessly, when she could manage a few words.

Ezra laughed. The nickname came from the very same cookout that her favourite photo of them had come from.

"_Ohhh, I love this song!" Adriana said cheerfully as she walked over to the stereo. Aria followed after her, leaving the boys at the grill. Hardy and Ezra were playfully arguing over who could make a better burger. _

"_Warm my body to the core just like a blanket  
><em>_Tasted so sweet, then you took my breath away  
><em>_Hit my so hard like a rock through a window  
><em>_I knew I was in trouble from the moment I met you, boy_

_Shoulda just called it like I saw it  
><em>_Shoulda just called for help  
><em>_And ran like hell that day  
><em>_The burn and the sting,  
><em>_And the high and the heat  
><em>_And the 'left me wanting more'  
><em>_Feeling when he kissed me  
><em>_Shoulda just called him whiskey…"_

"_What are we so cheerful about?" Ezra asked as he walked up, wrapping his arms around Aria. _

_Adriana stuck her tongue out at him and then skipped over to Hardy, leaving Aria and Ezra standing there alone. Aria smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pushed up onto the tips of her toes and kissed him. Ezra kissed her back, brushing his tongue into her mouth immediately. _

"_Just like whiskey." _

Aria smiled as she watched Ezra doze next to her. It was barely 9 PM, but she imagined that their amorous activities had probably given his headache the kick it needed to go away and actually allow him some rest.

It seemed like it had been a long time since they'd made love, and it took her a few moments to realize that it had been. They hadn't been together like this in more than two months. Most of it's cause was her doing, what with her constant rescheduling to do one thing or another with her parents or her friends. She hadn't really even realized how much she missed moments like this with him, until she realized how long she'd been without it.

She pressed her lips gently to his forehead and then snuggled against his body as a cool breeze blew through the window. Ezra moaned softly, and his eyes fluttered for a moment in the darkness.

"Sup?" He slurred wearily.

"Cold," Aria whispered back, resting her head against his chest. She liked listening to his heart beat. Ezra wrapped his arm around her, pulling the blanket up higher on her body before his hand came to rest on the base of her back. A few moments later, he was dozing again, and she quickly followed him into slumber.

_-  
>I'm hiding and hoping my face ain't too red<br>__Since we been over, been trying like crazy  
>-<em>

Ezra tugged the blankets from Aria's grips the next morning and chuckled as she whined. With no clothing on, however, she couldn't very well stay warm.

"Get up," he teased. "It's almost seven."

Aria pouted, whipping her head back to look at him. "You suck."

She moved off the bed with a scowl planted on her face, and pulled the cover sheet with her as she opened the closet. She stared inside it for a few moments before pulling out a long-sleeved scoop neck top and a pair of skinny jeans. She tossed them onto the bed and then walked over to the dresser and pulled out a matching bra and panty set. She stared down at the sheet covering her body for a moment with a slight scowl. It was cold inside the apartment, and dropping the towel would leave her bare-skinned for at least a minute. She looked around the room for a few moments and then pouted in defeat before dropping she sheet. She moved quickly, shimmying into her panties and then pulling on her bra. Afterwards, she grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head before grabbing her jeans off the bed and yanking them on.

"Aw, no pants dance?" Ezra teased.

Aria turned around and looked up at him as she snapped her jeans and pulled the zipper up. "Pants dance?"

Ezra nodded. "You know. First foot, kick. Second foot, kick. Shimmy, jump, button and zip." He smiled cheekily at her.

Aria laughed and shook her head as she pulled socks from the drawer. She sat down on the bed long enough to pull them on. Ezra settled his coffee cup on the dresser and walked over to her. He tilted her head up and looped his index and middle fingers through belt loops on her jeans as he brushed his tongue over her bottom lip. Aria slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her. He moved a knee up onto the bed and removed one hand from her side, leaning down on the bed over her as Aria's hands ran up under his t-shirt.

Ezra groaned and sighed, resting his head on the bed next to her as they parted. "_God_."

"Ess?" Aria giggled, pressing her hands up against his abdominal muscles. "I don't mind being referred to as a deity, as long as I remain female."

Ezra chuckled. "I'm suddenly trying to figure out how we went two months without sex."

Aria raised an eyebrow at him. "Two months? Weren't you single after Jackie for longer than that?" Ezra exhaled a sigh and sat down next to her. "Trust me, and don't let this go too far into your ego, but it was never _that_ good with her. Being with you is…." He shook his head, looking off into a corner of the room.

Aria narrowed her eyes at him, teasingly slipping her fingers under his shirt again. "Ego swelling. Finish that sentence."

Ezra looked back at her, pressing his tongue into the roof of his mouth for a moment. "Insatiable. Every time we have to leave, I want more."

Aria smirked, pressing her lips against his jaw just below his ear. "Not to worry," she said teasingly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Ezra turned his head towards her and brushed his fingers through her hair before pressing his lips to hers again. Aria kissed him back for several minutes before pulling away when he phone started to buzz loudly on the nightstand. She exhaled heavily as she pulled away from him, leaning down on the bed to grab her phone from the nightstand. Ezra leaned down over her, pressing his lips to her neck.

Aria tapped her screen and answered the phone, bringing it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey. I didn't wake you, did I?" _

Aria giggled as Ezra's fingers snaked inside her jeans, pulling her back flush against his chest. "Not at all. What's up?"

"_My boyfriend is still acting like he's losing sense of what it means to have a faithful girlfriend," _Adriana said from the other line. _"Would you want to meet for dinner?" _

Aria looked over her shoulder at Ezra. Her lips pulled up in a smile as she stared into his dilated pupils. "Sure. Let's make it early, though."

There was a brief silence on the other line. _"Okay, I'm just not even going to ask why. Tell my brother to keep it in his pants, and find out why the hell his best friend is losing his mind. __**Please**__." _

Aria giggled again. "Will do. Bye."

She pulled the phone away from her ear and then tucked it into her pocket before tugging Ezra's hand free from the confines of her jeans. "We do **not** have enough time to do this before we leave." Ezra scowled at her. "You suck." Aria raised her eyebrows at him. "I most certainly do."

Ezra groaned and dropped back against the bed. Aria fell into a fit of giggles. Ezra looked over at her, clearly frustrated.

"Skip first period," he said enticingly. "You're creating a world of problems for me as it is." Aria shook her head at him, though there was a smile firmly planted on her face. "Can't. Perfect attendance is one of the things I promised myself this year. I don't want to be someone who gets emancipated and then regrets it. Besides, your sister needs you to figure out why Hardy is being all weird."

Ezra groaned. "I told those two to solve their problems on their own. If this comes back to bite me, those two are going to have hell to pay."

Aria smiled sympathetically at him. "I doubt he's actually going to break up with her. On an unrelated note, she also told me to tell you to keep it in your pants."

Ezra rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. "That's information I didn't need. Anything else?" Aria nodded. "But not with Adriana." She paused for a moment. "I was wondering how you would feel if you came to see Dr. Sullivan with me for a session. I know things seem to be better now with us, but with everything coming up in the next few weeks, and how stressful things have been…" Ezra's expression changed to one more serious and focused. "Of course. I'm not above believing that we might need a little help to keep this on course. We've certainly been through our fair share of crap in the last few months. With any luck, we can put this all behind us." Aria nodded. She leaned forward and kissed him chastely before jumping off the bed. "I've got to finish getting ready."

"Aria?"

"Hmm?" She turned around and leaned against the doorframe.

"I love you," he replied.

She smiled at him. "I love you too."


	4. What If You're Making Me All That I Was

**A/N: **I'm going to explain this before you read this so you understand a comment coming in this chapter: while Adriana and Hardy live together, her place of residence is still technically her mother's home in New York City.

_Chapter 4_

_What If You're Making Me All That I Was Meant To Be_

Ezra shoved his stack of papers to grade into an accordion folder and then settled the folder inside his bag. His afternoon had been filled with his office being treated like a revolving door. He'd had students coming in and out since his last class at eleven AM. Most of them wanted more information on an essay he'd assigned, but a wealthy portion of them were also looking to get an application for the spring semester of the class he and Byron now taught together. It amazed him that something that had been intended to be an eight week course the previous semester had become so popular that they were sanctioned to teach two full semesters. Ezra was sure that when the spring semester rolled around, there was a chance that they were going to be asked to sign on for another semester of classes for the following year, but if things went the way that they seemed to be planned, he and Aria would be in New York for her spring semester.

A knock on his door brought his attention back to the present as he settled his bag on the floor. Hardy stepped into the room, carrying his own load of things that he needed to take home.

"It's about time," Ezra said as he flipped a textbook shut on his desk. "You were supposed to bring lunch."

Hardy nodded, dropping his bag onto the couch. "Yeah, I got caught up in an argument with your sister. I was almost late to my next class."

Ezra furrowed his brow, picking up a pretzel out of an open bag on his desk. He popped it into his mouth and chewed and swallowed it before speaking again. "Okay, I'm invoking the best friend clause and staying out of this one, but-" He paused and shook his head, huffing. "Damn it. What the hell are you doing that's screwing with my sister's head?"

"Nothing!" Hardy argued. "She's lost her mind, Ezra! She's got it in her head that I'm screwing around with some chick behind her back." Ezra pointed his finger at Hardy, opening his mouth to speak. Words evaded him for a moment as he struggled to figure out exactly what to say. "Now, remind me. Weren't **you** accusing her of the same things not too long ago?"

Hardy shook his head, sinking down onto the couch. "I **swear** I'm not cheating on her, Ezra. I **promise**. I love Adriana. I'd never do that to her."

Ezra walked around his desk and leaned against the back of it. "Then what is it? Because _something_ has got my sister freaking out like you're going to leave her any second."

Hardy shook his head. "It's not important."

Ezra narrowed his eyes at Hardy and crossed his arms. "I wouldn't say that. And be careful because you're treading a thin line."

Hardy sighed and shook his head again, letting out a frustrated laugh. "Fine. I didn't want to do this like this, but you're so **damn** insistent. I wanted to wait and ask at a later date."

Ezra's expression changed to one of a more perplexed and curious nature. "Ask _what_?"

Hardy looked up at him. "I want to ask Adriana to marry me for Christmas."

Ezra's eyes grew wide, and he stood there for several minutes, trying to digest the information that his best friend had just shared with him. He swallowed a heavy gulp, trying to gather his words. "You two haven't even been dating a year." Hardy nodded slowly. "But I've known her for five years, Ezra. And I've never been so sure about something in my life. I've been acting the way I have been because I don't want to fuck everything up and lose her. I'm terrified she's going to say no. She's only twenty."

Ezra continued to stare at him, still not quite sure what he was supposed to say. To him, Adriana was his baby sister, and something he had to protect. He'd always imagined she'd be older when a conversation like this finally happened. The fact that he was having it now, and with Hardy of all people, had him floored.

Hardy stared back at him for several minutes, and then finally spoke. "Okay, are you going to murder me, or just stand there?"

Ezra blinked several times and shook his head before starting to laugh. A smile spread across his face as he tried to stifle his laughter. Hardy shook his head and stared at the wall, waiting for the obnoxious reaction to pass. It took several minutes, but eventually managed to pull himself together.

"Are you finished?" Hardy asked.

Ezra nodded, hiccupping as he grabbed a bottle of water off his desk. "You married. I'm seriously having trouble envisioning that. Anyway, go on."

Hardy exhaled a deep breath. "Your sister has got it in her head that I'm cheating on her or doing something else that leads to this relationship ending in a disaster. I want to hold out until Christmas, but I'm afraid at this rate, we're not going to **make **it to Christmas."

Ezra nodded again. "Have you tried talking to her one on one? Just getting on her level and making it clear?""Yes," Hardy insisted. "Every time I tell her that there's nothing going on and that she has nothing to worry about, she tells me that I'm lying to her. I don't know what to do anymore. I know I dug this hole on my own because of what I've been like in the past, but I don't know how to fix this, Z."

Ezra tucked his hands into his pockets, chewing on the inside of his cheek for a moment. He knew the option that he was about to suggest wasn't a fair one, but he was no idiot to relationship problems either. He and Aria had certainly faired their own slew of them in the last few months.

"It's a shitty out, but what if you asked her now?" He offered. "I know it's not some big romantic to-do, but lets face it. Dre isn't exactly the kind of girl who wants big parties full of pink and giddy girls. Hell, she shows up to class in sweats half the time, with a pencil in her hair."

Hardy nodded. "Just…promise that if she goes nuts, you won't convince her to go running in the other direction?"

Ezra chuckled. "This relationship can only end in one way: with marriage and kids. So yes, I will tell my sister to stay with you." Hardy pushed up from the couch, seeming to be feeling better. "Thanks." Ezra nodded, walking back around his desk. He watched as Hardy walked over to the door, and then just as he was about to walk out, he called his name. Hardy turned around and looked back at him.

"Yeah?" He said.

"If you do this, and she says yes and you do **anything** to fuck this up, I swear to God, I'll be the one who murders you." Ezra said.

Hardy nodded slowly, though he gulped. "Understood." Ezra looked back down at his desk, letting his attention be taken by a book lying open. "Good."

_-  
>When it rains on this side of town<br>It touches everything_

Aria tucked her last textbook into her bag and then cupped her hands under her chin as she watched Ezra work at his desk. They had ordered dinner about half an hour earlier, but they were still waiting for it to show up. She didn't have any more homework left to do, which was left her mildly bored. She was used to Ezra being finished with work before her.

"So do you know what's up with Hardy and Adriana?" She asked as she reached for her laptop.

Ezra looked over his shoulder at her and shrugged. "She's just being paranoid. There's nothing wrong with their relationship. Like I said a few weeks ago, he's probably just planning some trip for them that he wants to surprise her with." "Really?" Aria asked. "You're not even a little suspicious? I mean he _is_ **your** best friend, Ezra. You know him better than her."

Ezra turned his chair and looked over at Aria as she lifted the lid of her laptop and turned it on. "Aria, I'm absolutely positive he's not cheating on her. And since when did you start becoming anti-Hardy." "I'm not," she insisted. "I just… I don't want to see her get hurt. I mean, I don't want you to get hurt by either of them making poor decisions in their relationship, but I know what it's like to be the girl who's afraid she's going to lose her guy to some other woman because, for whatever reason, that other girl is better."

Ezra pushed up from his seat and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside her. "I would **never** have gone back to Jackie. And while I understand and respect why my sister is afraid, I've known Hardy long enough to know when he's trying to pull one over on a girl. I know for a fact that that isn't the case right now. Okay?" Aria nodded, pushing her lips out at him. Ezra chuckled and leaned forward, pecking her quickly on the lips before he got up and walked back to his desk. He sat down and went back working on grading papers while Aria loaded up her social media sites.

Her SocialPage loaded after a few moments, and she looked around at other people's posts. Many of her friends had already started fresh photo albums for their senior year, and were constantly uploading new photos. There were a few posts about homework complaints, but for the most part, pictures were what took over her page.

She clicked on her page and stared at the profile photo on it. It was from Independence day, earlier in the afternoon. Spencer's parents had thrown a cookout and invited everyone to come. Her relationship with Ezra hadn't quite started to struggle yet, so he had been at the cookout as well, and Aria had all but insisted he bring Adriana as well. She wanted her friends to be friends with Adriana as well.

While they were all waiting on food, the girls had opted back and forth between teasing each other, telling early summer stories, and enjoying the brief time they had all managed to squeeze into the beautiful day. They'd spent a lot of time with other people recently, and they all had been traveling, so the day had granted them some much-needed time. Hanna had also brought Mona and Caleb, and Spencer had invited Toby while Emily had brought Paige along.

All of the girls and their significant others had crammed in for a photo, but Aria had tugged Adriana into it as well. She, Ezra, and Adriana had all stood in the middle, and everyone had wrapped their arms around each other. It was a photo where everyone was making ridiculous faces, and both Adriana and Ezra had been jokingly kissing either of Aria's cheeks while she had her lips pushed out in what had become known as the 'duck face'. She had them both tightly pulled against her sides, while there was a few extra inches in between everyone else.

She knew that she and Spencer had gone through their fair share of tiffs over the past few months as well. Aria was closest with Spencer and Hanna out of the four of them, but ever since Adriana, she'd grown increasingly closer to her. Hanna didn't seem to mind because she had Mona, and Emily understood, as she had had Maya at one point and time. But having a friend outside of the group seemed to be something that Spencer didn't quite understand yet, and though she tried to hide it, Aria could tell that it bothered Spencer that she wasn't the person she was closest to anymore.

It wasn't that Aria didn't care about Spencer, or even about Hanna and Emily. She loved all of her friends, but she knew that in a few months, they were all going to be heading off to different schools. Spencer had already sent in applications to Harvard and Princeton, while Aria was planning to go to NYU. Hanna and Caleb had already applied to UCLA, and Emily was holding out on the best swimming scholarship. She had a few schools who were looking at her already that she was interested in, but most of them were in the Midwest.

A part of her genuinely felt bad because she was, in a way, purposely distancing herself from her friends. It wasn't for any major specific reason, but there was an underlying factor. She didn't want to stay so tight-knit to them that she felt the same loss she had felt when she'd moved to Iceland with her family and they all just cut each other off. She knew that going off to college was going to be tough when it came time.

"Where's your head at, babe?"

Aria shook her head and looked up at Ezra. He was placing the papers he'd been grading back into his bag.

She shrugged, looking back down at her computer. "Thinking about the future. So much is about to change, but it's nothing compared to what it's going to be like next summer."

Ezra placed his bag on the floor and then walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. He looked down at her screen and then back up at her. "You mean because of your friends?"

Aria nodded. "I feel bad because I know I'm not spending that much time with them, but…" He voice trailed off and she shook her head.

Ezra frowned. He didn't like her being upset when they were starting to get to a good place again. "But what?"

Aria sighed, pulling her legs up under her so that she was pretzel-legged. "When we moved to Iceland two years ago, everything just stopped. I mean, part of it was because Alison went missing, but part of it was because none of us made enough of an effort to keep things going. Every time I thought to e-mail or call any of my friends, I either didn't hear back, or got one-line messages saying they were busy. After a while, I gave up. I don't want to split up next summer and end up in the same situation." Ezra nodded slowly. "So you think it's easier to put distance between all of you so that when it's time to leave, it won't hurt so much?" Aria nodded again.

Ezra smiled sympathetically at her and wrapped an arm around her. He kissed the side of her head. "I wish to God that made things easier, but it really doesn't. I watched Adriana do the same thing when she graduated, and she still was a mess when she had to say goodbye to her friends. More than that, I think there are a lot of memories this year that you're going to want to share with your friends. I know it's going to be tough when you leave, but at least you'll go knowing that you put as much effort as possible into making great memories. And besides; Rosewood will always be here. Whether we move to New York next year, or some other place, there's no reason why we can't come back some day, if that's what we want. Doing something different than your friends doesn't make you a bad person. You're all entitled to do a little growing on your own. You never know. It might bring you closer in the end." Aria tilted her head up to look at him and gave a small smile. Ezra kissed her. She slipped her arms under the hem of his shirt and ran her hands up his chest. He groaned softly into her mouth, shifting them so that she was lying back against the pillows behind her. Ezra began to trail his fingers up her shirt, but a sudden knock outside stopped him.

He groaned loudly, pulling his lips away from Aria's. She held onto his head, trailing kisses down the side of his neck.

"Just ignore them," she murmured, biting gently on the spot below his ear. Ezra groaned and shuddered, reluctantly pulling her hands down off his neck.

"I'd love to," he muttered. "But it might be Addy or Hardy."

He moved off the bed, and Aria flipped her laptop lid shut, moving off the bed after him.

"What makes you so sure?" Aria asked as she followed him out of the room. Ezra didn't answer her. She leaned against the doorway and stared down the short hallway as he walked over to the door and opened it.

His expression quickly changed when he saw Adriana standing the doorway, crying. Except she wasn't happy, like he thought she'd be when he last saw her.

"Dre-" "I n-need…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head as she tightened her arms around her body. "Can I stay here?"

Ezra nodded, opening the door further and stepping aside. He watched as Adriana stepped around him and moved to close the door. Aria stepped out of the bedroom as Adriana came to stand nearby her.

"What happened?" Ezra asked warily.

"H-he asked me to marry him," she cried.

Aria's eyes grew wide as she stepped out of the bedroom and hugged Adriana. She exchanged a confused look with Ezra, but he simply shrugged before walking around them and into the bedroom. He walked back out a few moments later and kissed the side of Aria's head quickly before heading for the door, holding his phone and a light jacket in his left hand. He pulled the door open with his right.

"I'll be back," he said as he walked out the door.

_-  
>A few pictures, two tickets from a trip we took last year<br>A handful of memories, some still seem clear_

Aria walked into the sitting room carrying two mugs filled with cocoa. She handed one to Adriana and then sat down in the chair across from the couch and curled her legs up under her. It phased her that the last time she'd sat in that chair, the girls had been telling her that Maya was 'A'. She tensed for the slightest moment and then shook off the memories, brushing her hair out of her face.

"So what happened?" She asked.

Adriana took a sip from the cocoa Aria had given her and then settled it on the coffee table and pulled her legs up onto the couch and wrapped them under her legs. "I don't even know how to explain it. I guess I was an idiot because I thought he was cheating on me, and it turns out this is what he's been keeping from me for the past month."

Aria nodded slowly. "But what does that really mean? I mean what **really** happened."

Adriana shook her head, pressing her lips together as tears filled her eyes again. "He started talking about the future and wanting to get married, and all I could think was, I'm barely twenty years old and I've been with my boyfriend for less than a year, and he wants to settle down and get married. I don't mind jumping head first into an ice cold pool, but that's taking a long drive off a short cliff."

"You really think so?" Aria asked. "I mean it's really not what you want?"

Adriana stared down at the floor, sniffling. "It's not that it isn't want I want, but I'm not ready, and I know if I go home, that I'll let him talk me into getting married because I love him and I want to make him happy, but I just don't think I can do that right now. I still feel like a kid, you know?"

Aria nodded again. She certainly knew the feeling of straddling the line between feeling like she had to quickly become an adult while still feeling like a child. Everything she had gone through in the last year had made her feel that way. It seemed in no time, she had gone from being a kid who was enjoying everything around her, and then suddenly her dad was having an affair, and then Alison was dead, and it was as if the world had crumbled around her and suddenly she had to be older. In the time that passed while they were in Iceland, it had taught her to toughen her skin and grow up faster than she probably needed to. It was one of the things that had pushed her towards her relationship with Ezra when she had met him. What did it matter if he was almost six years her senior? She wasn't the average sixteen year old, and from the moment they had met, there had been something electric between them. She had known he had felt it too, and she had refused to let it go.

"What are you going to do?" She asked when she managed to gather enough words to speak.

Adriana shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know. I don't not want to be with him, but right now, I think actually being together is the worst thing for us. I don't want to rush into anything, and I think if I go back home right now, that's exactly what I'll do." "Do you think your opinion will change with time?" Aria asked.

Adriana only shrugged. "I honestly think so."

_-  
>The planets all aligned when you looked into my eyes<br>And just like that, the chemicals react_

Ezra slipped the door shut behind him and walked into the loft that Adriana and Hardy shared. He looked around the spacious lower level and spotted the balcony doors open across the small apartment. Hardy was standing outside, leaning against the railing.

He walked across the apartment and stepped outside, tucking his hands into his pockets as he came to stand next to his best friend.

"How you doing?" He asked.

Hardy shook his head, looking up from the ring box he was holding in his hands. "Did you think she'd do this? Because I honestly didn't." Ezra shook his head as well, looking out at the city. Hardy lived on the outskirts of Rosewood, high up on a hill that gave a great view of Rosewood. "I honestly thought that you two would be calling me to tell me you were getting married. This…What happened?" Hardy passed the ring box to Ezra as he stood up straighter and gripped the balcony railing under his hands. The wind blew, sending light shiver through the both of them. "She was ready to start arguing when she got home, so I didn't waste any time. I told her that the reason I'd been so squirrelly was because I was nervous about all of this, and I asked her and told her I wanted to marry her and all the stuff that goes along with that, and she…." Hardy sighed and shook his head, staring off into the expanse in front of them. "I don't know, man. I mean I thought that we were on the same page. I love her so much, and I really thought that she'd want this as much as I do. I know that it's quick, but it wasn't like I was saying I wanted to get married next week. But she ran out of here saying she could do 'this'. I said that maybe she wanted to sleep on it, and she said that if she did that, it would just lead to her letting me pressure her into marrying me."

"She ended it?" Ezra asked.

Hardy shrugged, and the shakiness of his exhaling told Ezra that he was on the verge of some very heavy emotions. "I don't know. She just stormed out of here. I don't know if she was saying no, or not now, or…" He shook his head again and looked down at the floor of the balcony.

Ezra stared down at the ring in his hands. It was beautiful, but simple. It was totally Adriana's taste, and something he knew she probably loved.

He had come to realize just how alike Hardy and Adriana were in their personalities over the summer. They really were a perfect fit, which is what surprised him so much about all of this. He knew how much Adriana prided herself on being able to say she was the girl that got Hardy to settle down, which only made the current situation that much more confusing. He knew how much his sister dreamed of getting married and having kids, and yet she was so easily saying that she would let this go? It didn't make any sense.

"I'll talk to her," he said after a few minutes. "Something about all of this just doesn't add up. This isn't like Dre, and whatever it is, I'll get her to tell me."

Hardy looked up at him and forced a tight smile. Ezra handed over the ring box and Hardy took it from him. "Thanks, Z." Ezra nodded. "You'll be alright?" Hardy nodded.

Ezra looked back out at the city for a moment and then patted Hardy on the back several times before walking back through the apartment. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

"_Life is a show, skydiving, about to let go  
><em>_We're walking the wire with nothing but love  
><em>_Don't you know, don't you know  
><em>_Cause life is a show-"_

He tapped the screen and brought up the message.

_**Can you get me some clothes, please?  
>-Dre xoxo<strong>_

Ezra exhaled a frustrated breath and turned around as Hardy walked into the apartment. He looked up at Ezra. "What?"

"Can you put a bag together with her things?" Ezra asked tentatively. "I promise I'll get her back here tomorrow. Besides, if I'm not shoving her out the door, she'll probably open up faster." Hardy sighed and nodded before heading for the stairs. Ezra typed a quick text message back to Adriana before he tucked his phone back in his pocket. He waited in the kitchen for a few minutes while Hardy packed a bag.

He returned a few minutes later and then gave Ezra the bag before the two said good night and parted. Ezra headed out of the apartment, and began the short walk back to his and Aria's apartment, carrying the small duffel bag on his shoulder. As he walked, he continued to ponder what was up with Adriana, but fortunately the walk was short enough that he didn't have to spend too much time thinking about it.

He walked into the apartment to find Aria curled up on the couch with a textbook. She was fresh from the shower, wrapped up in her blue and lavender bathrobe. Her hair was clipped up behind her head and she was sipping on hot apple cider.

He walked over to her and pecked her softly on the cheek. She turned her head and smiled at him before leaning up to kiss him. Ezra kissed her back quickly before squatting down beside her. "Where's Adriana?" "Out back," Aria said, pointing to the window that showed the outside. Ezra walked over to it, and spotted Adriana a few moments later. He tossed the duffel bag into the spare bedroom and then walked over to the back door and walked out into the back yard. Given that they lived in a townhouse apartment, their back yard wasn't huge, but it was a comfortable size that allowed for a bit of running around.

Adriana was sitting on the low stoop, scribbling in a notebook. Ezra walked over to her and sat down next to her. She looked up at him.

"What're you writing?" He asked as he looked out at the yard. A squirrel went scampering across the yard and up a tree.

Adriana tossed the notebook into his lap. The page was covered in doodles of flowers and swirls, but words were scribbled in the middle.

"_Somewhere perfection lies  
>But not for you and I<br>Everybody trips sometimes  
>When cities fall like shacks<br>Walls eventually crack  
>Everybody breaks a glass…"<em>

Ezra looked up at her as he handed the notebook back to her. "Is that really what you want?" He asked. "For it to just be over? I'm not shoving you out the door or anything, but this is seriously going to change things, Addy. In ways that you two **promised** wouldn't happen."She looked up at him with tears shining in her eyes. He felt terrible that she was crying, and even worse that it seemed like he was the one causing her tears, but he needed to know the reasoning behind all of this.

"I don't want to be mom, Ezra. I mean, I love her **so** much, but she married dad young because she thought he was 'the one', and look at how that worked out." Adriana cried.

Ezra sighed and wrapped an arm around her, running his hand up and down her upper arm. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You are **not** going to be mom, alright?" He insisted. "And furthermore and more importantly, Hardy is **not** dad. Yes, this might be quick and rushed, but for one, Hardy would never hurt you because he knows I'd kill him. And more than that, he knows how Dad was. Besides, it's not he'd be rushing you down the aisle, Dre. He just loves you and wants to be with you. Isn't that all you've ever wanted?"She lifted her head up and looked at Ezra. "Yes, but I'm hardly in the position to even be talking about getting married, Ezra. I still technically live at home. I still have posters of boy bands on my wall. I-""Alright, stop," Ezra insisted, cutting her off before she could dig herself any further into a hole. The people who believe you still live at home are the United States Postal Service because you haven't changed your address to your apartment with Hardy. And since when does Blessthefall count as a boy band? They're hardly dancing around on stage in parachute pants. And if we're going to go off the logic that all of that means you shouldn't be in a relationship planning to get married, then why am I even looking at engagement rings?"

Adriana chuckled and shook her head at Ezra, wiping away some of the tears on her face. "That's different, Ezra. You and Aria have been together over a year, and you both **know** that you want to spend the rest of your life together. You've fought through so much to stay together and be together. I **dream** of loving Hardy as much as you and Aria love each other."Ezra shook his head at her. He took a deep breath. "So does this mean you're ending things with Hardy?"Adriana rolled her shoulders. "It means…" She paused for a moment as her face seemed to drop into a frown. "It means we're taking a few steps back and cooling off. We can re-examine things in a few months."

Ezra nodded glumly. "You know you're going to have to tell him all of this, right?"She nodded. "Tomorrow, though. As long as you're not kicking me out, I mean."Ezra laughed. "No. You're welcome here as long as you like, as long as you don't spontaneously cause Aria to hate you for some reason."

She shoved her face away from him, giggling. "God, man, you are so **whipped**!"

"Whatever," Ezra chuckled. He pushed up to his feet and then offered Adriana a hand. They walked back into the apartment and then parted ways as Ezra walked into the bedroom he shared with Aria. He closed the door behind him, and a moment later, the guest bedroom door clicked shut as well. A pizza box rested on the dresser. He flipped the top open and snatched a piece as Aria slipped underneath the blankets. She only had on a loose, thin grey t-shirt.

"Is everything okay?" She asked as she adjusted the blankets around her.

Ezra nodded, walking over to the bed. He rested his piece of pizza on the nightstand while he removed his t-shirt and then slipped out of his jeans before sitting down on the bed. "We're going to have a roommate for a while though, if that's alright with you."

Aria nodded. "It's fine. I think Adriana is great. Feel bad for Hardy, though."

Ezra nodded, picking up his pizza from the table. He took another bite out of it and chewed it before speaking again. "I don't think that this is going to last with her, but something is keeping her from realizing that this is okay. I just hope she realizes it before it's too late."

Aria smiled sympathetically at him. "Maybe they will."

Ezra finished off his slice of pizza and then pulled the clip from Aria's hair and settled it on her night table before lacing his fingers in with hers as he kissed her, pressing her back against the bed. She moaned as he pushed her lips apart with his tongue and brushed it over hers. Ezra pushed her arms up above her head and then released them, moving his hands down to her t-shirt. Aria moved her fingers into his hair as Ezra pulled her hips up against his and moaned softly into her mouth.

"Aren't you worried about your sister being next door," she murmured before shuddering as his fingers moved nimble and feather light between her thighs.

Ezra chuckled into her ear, pulling on her panties. "Don't you remember her birthday? And besides, you owe me from this morning."

Aria opened her mouth to retort, but Ezra's lips captured hers again, silencing her. There was only so much convincing she was willing to do to stop him, and she wanted him too much to stop now.


	5. If This Was A Movie, You'd Be Here By

**A/N:** As I've stated before, I know very little about emancipation, and what little I DO know is from what I've read on the internet. Forgive me for anything that may be wrong from a legal standpoint or otherwise. That said…

_Chapter 5_

_If This Was A Movie, You'd Be Here By Now_

Aria stormed into Ezra's office with a large smirk on her face. He turned and looked at her, surprised and mid-sentence as she rushed up to him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She pressed her lips to his in a quick but rough kiss before he lowered her back to the ground. She smiled brightly at him, and he smiled back at her just as cheerfully.

She looked up a moment later and smiled at Hardy. He smiled back at her.

"Sorry," Aria said. "Its-" "Your first kiss as a legal couple?" He inferred. "Yeah, Ezra's been talking about it for the last three days." Aria giggled, showing them the small half-sheet of paper. "I know it seems so stupid and small and insignificant, but for once, I'm out from under my parents thumb. They can't tell us what to do anymore or try and pull us apart," she said cheerfully.

Hardy smiled at her and then looked up at Ezra. "We can talk later." Ezra nodded, and then he and Aria walked as Hardy walked out of the room before Aria turned back to Ezra and smiled brightly up at him again. She hugged him again and chuckled as he hugged her back.

They had had several long talks over the past few days as the date of her official court date had crept up on them, and there had been an obvious change from how things had been in May. Rather than Aria feeling nervous and unsure, she was ironclad in her decision to go forward with getting emancipated. Her biggest fear had been that she wouldn't have any medical coverage, but her lawyer had quickly directed her to the Social Services building to apply for CHIP; an insurance for people in her position. The paperwork had come back through the day before, alerting her that she'd been approved, which had lifted a major weight off her shoulders. She honestly had been terrified of not having something to cover her, especially if she found herself injured again or, God forbid, in another car accident.

The court date itself hadn't been all that exciting. She had gone in alone and been interviewed by a judge, who asked her several questions about her choice to become emancipated, and briefly interviewed Ella and Byron.

Their relationship was still much of the same that it had been lately. They were still civil to each other, but nobody really said anything outside of a professional standpoint. It was clear that for as much an agreement to let Aria become emancipated had been reached, that they weren't planning on changing their viewpoints on her relationship with Ezra or otherwise. When they had all finally been called in to sign the papers, the feeling had been bittersweet. Ella had handed Aria a letter and hugged her before leaving with Byron.

It had been very clear that her parents were upset, as Ella's tears did nothing to hide that they were upset about the situation, but it didn't keep Aria from making her choice when the time came. As much as she loved her parents, she'd been too easily yanked around by them in the past few months to change her mind. Furthermore, the fact that they made no move to try and change her mind again made it clear to her that they knew, even if they didn't agree with her choice, that it was probably the best thing for her. As it was, Aria knew that if she failed, then at least she would be failing on her own terms.

"How is Hardy?" She asked Ezra when she had finished telling him about what had gone on at the court house. Ezra shrugged, looking towards his open doorway.

"I honestly don't know," he replied sadly. "I mean he's got a pretty good front on right now, but I don't really think he's actually as cheerful as he's acting, especially when I read his SocialPage posts. Adriana refuses to speak to him, and keeps putting him off every time he asks her to get together and meet up. I feel terrible, too, but I don't know how to change it, or even if I can." Aria frowned. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek before wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "They'll work it out." Ezra rubbed a hand up and down her back. "I hope so. They both seem miserable enough without each other."

They pulled away from each other and Aria pushed her lips out in a pout at Ezra as he stared back at her, drumming his thumb lightly against her knee.

"What?" He asked.

Aria shrugged. "Trial starts later this week, and we're seeing Dr. Sullivan tomorrow. I'm a little stressed."

Ezra smiled his boyish grin at her and kissed her forehead. "We'll get through it all alright. Besides, all we have to do with Jackie's trial is tell the truth. I don't even feel okay saying this, but at least the police have proof that she wasn't acting alone." Aria nodded. "I just sometimes wonder if we didn't somehow contribute to her doing this. I hate to even let myself feel guilty about any of it because it's not fair, but I know that we didn't really act with discretion in the beginning when we were here." Ezra shook his head at her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't even **start** letting your thoughts go that way. Hollis was our safe haven. It was a place away from your school **and** your parents where we could be ourselves and be together that wasn't confined to the inside of my apartment. Jackie's issues surrounding it all are her own problem. You are **not** to blame for any of it." "He's right." Aria and Ezra both looked up in surprise as Byron stood near the doorway. He was holding a handful of envelopes, seemingly flipping through mail. She was slightly surprised to see him back on campus so soon after signing the emancipation papers. She had assumed her parents would've headed home together for the night. Aria opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the right words to say.

"At odds or not," Byron said, "Jackie was wrong for doing the things she did that caused your accident, regardless of whether she had help. It wasn't as if you two went out of your way to rub your relationship in anyone's face or forced her to watch. She sealed her own fate when she stripped the brakes on Ezra's car."

Aria looked back at Ezra, still struggling to find her words. He squeezed her hand lightly in his. "He's right," Ezra murmured. "There's nothing you could've possibly done to have provoked her to do that."

"But-"

Byron stepped up to the doorway and shook his head. "There's **nothing** you could have done. There may be a lot of things your mother and I can't reach an agreement with you on, but this isn't one of those. And unless you physically held a gun to her head while she was cutting the brake line, then I highly doubt what happened is your fault."

Aria took several deep breaths as tears brimmed her eyelids. "Then why am I so stupidly feeling guilty about all of this."

"Because you're a **good** person," Ezra insisted, cupping her face in his hands. "You treat people right, and you don't expect handouts. You work for what you have."

He kissed her forehead. "Just try not to focus on it. Besides, don't we have a therapist appointment to make?"

Aria laughed and nodded. "You sure you really want to go to therapy with me?"

Ezra brushed his nose up against hers and smiled, pecking her softly on the lips. "We're doing well. Let's stay that way."

_-  
>Six months gone and I'm still reaching<br>__Even though I know you're not there  
>-<em>

Aria brushed her hands down over her grey dress pants as she sat down next to Ezra. She felt way too official to be in a therapy session, but she hadn't brought any other clothes with her when she'd left the apartment that morning. Instead she looked more like Ezra's typical ensemble. She'd worn a black and white striped thick-strap tank top along with grey dress pants with white pinstripes, and topped off the outfit with a plain black blazer. Ezra was in typical black dress pants along with his favourite grey button-up dress shirt, though he had his sleeves rolled up.

"Anxious?" Ezra asked as he stuffed his phone into his pocket.

Aria shrugged, shaking her head. "I feel a little overdressed. I'd rather be in jeans right now, but I we ran out of the apartment so quickly this morning that I didn't think to grab anything." Ezra brushed his hand down the back of her head chuckled. "You look fine. Besides, you've got the weekend coming up. Plenty of time to lounge around in sweats with pencils in your hair."

Aria narrowed her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out. "I've got shifts on Saturday **and** Sunday. And it's fine. I don't mind being dressed up when I have a reason to be, but I just find _this_ kind of dressed up so confining. I don't know how you do it all the time." Ezra laughed. "Casual Fridays. I try to give myself one day a week where I'm not so officially dressed. It keeps me from feeling like I'm dressed in duct tape every day."

"Why not just strap on a 'cocky' belt buckle?" Aria giggled.

Ezra shook his head at her. "Nice television reference."

Dr. Sullivan walked across the office from her desk and sat down in her chair across from the couch where Aria and Ezra were seated. She'd been digging through her files to find a fresh one to keep documents for Ezra.

"I apologize," she said with a smile. "It's been a little crazy in here. I **was** listening though." She looked to Ezra. "Do you not like the confinement of formal dressing?"

"No," Ezra insisted. "I don't mind it. But I do occasionally feel the laziness that comes with being twenty-three." Dr. Sullivan nodded, scribbling something on the file she had resting in her lap. "You both have had to do quite a bit of growing up in the last few months."

Ezra and Aria exchanged an odd look and then looked back at Dr. Sullivan, perplexed. She chuckled and shook her head, pointing her pen at them.

"I don't mean that you both aren't already adults in your own right, because you certainly are. Ezra, you've gone through college and come through with a degree with high honors, and I thank you for being forthcoming about your father. Aria, you've survived some very heavy situations in the last two years, and kept very tough secrets to protect the people you loved. You **both** have had your fair share of trials and tribulations to knock you on your back and shove you up a hill to adulthood quicker than you needed to. It may be that the confines of dressing so professionally along with everything else makes you both feel like you're racing towards a burnout." She explained. "It might help to do something…out of the box."

"Out of the box?" Aria and Ezra asked simultaneously.

Dr. Sullivan nodded. "I understand you both have been under quite a bit of stress lately, from your car accident, to the issues that followed that with Aria's parents. It might help if you did something," she tilted her head back and forth a bit, running her fingers together. "For lack of a better term, juvenile. Something that you haven't done in a while, or something that you would find fun, that doesn't require some big to-do."

Aria and Ezra looked at each other again, slightly confused at the idea.

"I know it seems arbitrary right now," Dr Sullivan said. "But doing something fun and enjoyable could be the best thing for you. And it might help you more than you think."

Aria waved her hands out over her knee, shaking her head. "How is doing something childish going to fix everything we've been arguing about?"

Dr. Sullivan smiled. "I'm so glad you asked that." She settled her file on the table next to her and sat back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. "From what you've told me, your arguments have been based very much so on the stresses of everything that you've both been willing to give up for each other." She shifted in her chair, turning to look at Ezra. "You've given up a lot in the past few months to make this relationship work, right? You gave up your apartment, and in a sense, your freedom as well. It's one thing to have a serious relationship, but there **is** a step taken forward when two people move in together. You both have fought to build up to where your standing, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you both have as sense of fear now where you're wondering, if everything you've put forward this far is for each other or if you just did it for yourselves. I'm going to take a safe bet in saying that its an even split of both, but you might be finding yourself feeling that maybe your sacrifices aren't being fairly met."

"Isn't that just saying we're being selfish?" Aria asked.

Dr. Sullivan folded her hands together in her lap. "Not on purpose. I think the things that you both have struggled with in your personal lives combined with what you've gone through in your relationship together has stressed you both to such an extent that by arguing, you're trying to get back to where you to were before the summer, but it's only creating a larger wedge between you. That's why I suggested doing something fun. I think you're both consciously aware that you're not **actually** the only one making sacrifices in your relationship, but you've lost way on how to get back to where you used to be. By spending time together and taking your mind off of the issues in your relationship, you're not giving them the time to build up into the problems you've let them become in the past. Understand?"Aria and Ezra exchanged yet another glance and then looked back at Dr. Sullivan nervously.

"Look, the simple answer is go see a movie, or spend a night in a hotel racking up bills in room service orders, but the point is, just do something **fun**. Let yourselves enjoy something outside of the normal spectrum of things you've done in the past. We can talk through your issues as much as is needed, but believe it or not, you've got most of the tools you need to fix your issues right at your disposal. All you need to do is use them."

_-  
>Don't tell me love is something you won't try again<br>__That's not just true  
>-<em>

Aria chewed on a bite of general tso's chicken as she leaned over her Botany textbook at the table. Her hair was twisted up into a messy bun and she was chewing on a pencil as she reached over her textbook to type homework on her laptop.

Ezra settled a carton of rice on the table next to her and then sat down onto the chair next to hers and picked up a notebook off the table. He pulled his legs up and rested his feet on the edge of the chair as he began to write. It was a notebook that he carried everywhere with him and held notes about tasks he needed to complete for the following day. It was mundane and useless to anyone else, but given the fact that their car accident still affected his day-to-day life, it was just easier to keep a to-do list, rather than dealing with forgetting something important.

"Where is Adriana?" Aria asked after a bit, when she had looked up from her textbook. Her pencil fell onto her textbook.

Ezra looked up at her and shrugged. "Working out her issues with Hardy, I hope."

Aria nodded and then turned her attention back to her homework. Her textbook got pushed aside as she finished taking notes, and she pulled her laptop forward to work on typing up her homework. They sat in silence, and Aria chewed on a piece of hard candy as she worked, though from the corner of her eye, she could see Ezra getting frustrated.

Aria finally pushed her laptop aside and folded her hands under her chin. His attitude was one she had gotten used to in their year spent together. The aggravation often built until he was to annoyed to keep it anymore, after which they would generally proceed into arguing.

"What're you upset about?" Aria asked.

Ezra tossed his notebook onto the table along with the pen he was using and he shook his head. "I can't remember what time we have to meet with the lawyer tomorrow."

"Okay," Aria said, confused. "Why didn't you just ask?"Ezra huffed, looking up at her. "Because I'm sick and tired of having to write things down in order to remember them! It sickens me that someone I used to sleep next to almost killed me."

"Did you ever go see her like you said you wanted?" Aria asked softly.

Ezra shook his head, dropping his legs down onto the ground as he moved forward in the chair and closed his notebook. He shoved his pen through the spiral binding.

"No. Because I want her to know that if I **do** see her, it's the last time she'll ever see me. I've been putting it off until after the trial." Ezra said. He stood up and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

When he returned, he leaned up against the doorframe and eyed Aria curiously. "Did you?"She pulled the lid of her laptop down and looked up at him. "Did I what?"

"Go see her?"

Aria looked down at the table for a few moments, pressing her lips together. She nodded. "Yeah. I did."

_Aria looked around as she sat down. She'd never been on this side of the police station. She'd never even been in a situation where she'd had to talk to someone like this; sitting on one side of a table in this situation. She'd never known anyone who'd been kept in jail for more than a few hours and she certainly had never been in the situation herself. _

_Still, as she looked around, she couldn't help but wonder about the people around her. A woman with dark hair sat about ten feet away across from an older woman Aria could only assume was her mother. She was crying, and the older woman was comforting her. So many scenarios ran through her head over why the woman was in jail and why she was crying. _

_Her mind was quickly pulled out of its many ideas though, when the door opened and Jackie came through, dressed in an orange jumpsuit. She snickered inwardly at how the color just didn't work for the older woman. She watched as Jackie's vision flitted over the room before finally settling on her. The slightest look of hope faded to a look of contempt as she narrowed her eyes at Aria and walked across the room to the table as an officer led her over. _

_She sat down across the table and crossed her arms. "What're you doing here?"_

_Aria stared at Jackie for several long moments, pondering the question. Why __**was**__ she there? She's had so many things that she intended to say to the older woman about the accident, and the things she had done to try and tear she and Ezra apart, but somehow her words were gone. A part of her briefly wondered why Jackie would do something so cold and calculated when she claimed to love Ezra. Why would she do something so cruel when it endangered his life as well?_

"_I wanted to know something," she said finally. _

_Jackie stared at her expectantly, as if Aria's silence was for naught. _

"_Why did you do it?" She asked when she managed to gather her words. _

"_I wanted you gone," Jackie said simply. "Out of the way. It was clear the only way for that to happen was if you were injured or dead."_

_Her reason wasn't surprising. Aria knew the moment she'd been told that Jackie was the one who had caused the accident that it had been to hurt her. Her own car's troubles from that morning had made sense. Everything had, when she knew it was Jackie who had done it._

"_But Ezra-"_

"_Was a means to an end," Jackie said, cutting her off. "If it took him getting hurt to get rid of you, then so be it."_

_Aria took several deep breaths so that she didn't scream at Jackie. She had genuinely wanted to believe that Jackie deserved at least the slightest redemption. That she hadn't entirely been to blame for everything that had happened. That Maya had __**some**__ sense of involvement in it all. But sitting here like this, it all made her sick. _

_Suddenly rage was fueling inside of her, and she wanted to rub everything in Jackie's face. All too quickly, words were coming out of her mouth in a verbal vomit before she could even think about what she was saying. _

"_Then it really would've sucked for you if you __**hadn't**_ _been so stupid as to get caught. Thanks to you, __**he **__almost died. Because of you, one of his lungs was punctured, and it almost killed him. I was fine, other than a concussion, but Ezra could've died in that accident. __**Because. Of. You.**__"_

_Maybe she was a little sinister for saying things the way she did. Maybe she was cruel for lashing out at Jackie, but as she watched her expression fall, she felt a sense of pride, like she had won. _

"_You know, if you hadn't been so selfish, I'm sure I would've somehow screwed up this relationship at some point because Ezra is __**more **__than I have ever deserved, and we would've ended. If you had been __**smart**__, you would have been the kind of woman who waited until he was single again and then made your move. But at least now I know that if Ezra and I ever __**do**__ break up, he's never going to come running back to you."_

Ezra sat back down at the table, shaking his head. "Why would you want to go see Jackie?"Aria closed her school bag and settled it on a chair before reaching up behind her head and pulling the clip out that was holding her hair up. "I wanted to know why she cut the breaks. It didn't make sense, when it endangered you. After all, she did it because she **wanted **you."

"So?"

Aria looked up at him. "So what?""So what did she say?" He asked.

Aria shook her head, picking up her laptop from the table. "Something along the lines of she'd do whatever it took to get you back, even if it meant you had to get hurt."

Ezra stood there for a few moments, and Aria could tell that what she said affected him, even if it wasn't her fault. She sighed and frowned.

"Look, she would've done whatever it took to get you back. Remember how she was willing to get you fired and expose our relationship?" She paused, waiting for him to look up at her. "She doesn't care about anyone but herself and what she wants."

Ezra nodded. "I have very little understanding as to how I could've ever loved someone so…self-centered. I swear, Aria, she wasn't like that when I met her."

A corner of Aria's mouth pulled up gently into a soft smile. She walked over to him and rested her hand on his left cheek, leaning up to kiss his right.

"I know, babe. I don't think what she did was ever your fault. I think she just wanted what she wanted, and when she couldn't have it, she went nuts."

"That's no excuse," Ezra said.

"Damn straight it isn't."Ezra's eyes widened and Aria giggled as she turned in her spot. Adriana came around the short walkway and leaned up against the wall, crossing her arms. "That woman is a psycho. She's a wanna-be Vanessa Hudgens just like Hardy says."

Aria giggled and shook her head. "Alright. I think we were all raised better than to be bullies about someone who isn't around.""That girl **deserves** some bullying!" Adriana insisted. "She tried to kill my brother and sister. I have absolutely no sympathy for her. Anyway, how're you?" A ridiculous smirk pushed across Adriana's face, and Aria and Ezra both laughed at her obnoxious attempt to change the subject.

"Frustrated," Ezra said, picking up his notebook from the table. Aria walked around the table and grabbed her laptop.

"Tired. Where were you?"Adriana shrugged. "Hanging out at Snookers, trying to get some homework done. Cady was there, so we ate dinner together.""Did you see or talk to Hardy?" Ezra asked.

Adriana shook her head, looking down at the floor. "No. We had an argument earlier today. We needed some time to cool off."

"So are you still in that 'we're together, but not' limbo?" Aria asked.

Adriana shrugged, shaking her head and forcing a smile onto her face as she looked back up at Aria and Ezra. "We're nothing at this point. Don't worry about it. I'm gonna go to bed."

She walked away from them, and Aria looked over at Ezra, confused, before walking with him into the bedroom. She settled her laptop next to the bed and then climbed into it and picked up her iPhone off the nightstand, checking the battery charge before she plugged it in. She plugged her headphones into the jack at the top and then laid back in bed as she opened up her journal. A small envelope drifted out of it and she settled it on the nightstand.

Ezra looked over at her as he snuggled down into the blankets. "Staying up?"

"Just for a bit," she replied softly. She tilted her head down and Ezra lifted his. They kissed chastely and then he draped an arm across her waist before closing his eyes. Aria watched him for a few moments and then grabbed her iPhone and scrolled through one of her playlists before settling on a song. She listened to it for a moment as she looked over the entry that she'd placed the letter from her mother on.

"_Turn my back to the door  
><em>_Feel so much better now…"_

The song pulsed through her ears as she read the entry in her journal. It was a copy of the letter she'd given to her parents when she had finished packing up her bedroom.

_Mom and Dad, _

_Sometimes I lie in bed at night and wonder how we got here. I try to go back far enough in my mind to remember when this all started falling apart. Was it when we got back from Iceland? Or was it before then, when I saw dad with Meredith? Was it when I lost Ali? I never really can piece together where everything went wrong. It never makes sense with time, either. _

_I thought when I came back home in May, things would be different. I thought there would be an effort to accept Ezra and I, instead of trying to come between us and drive us apart. I thought I could have the best of both worlds. To have the four people I loved most in harmony and happiness. _

_I remember how you told me that you raised me to be open-minded and independent, mom. But I also remember how it seemed like you were genuinely making an effort after the car accident. I don't know if that was just you putting on a show for me, or if you were genuinely trying. I hope it was the latter. _

_I'm not sure whether I'll ever know. I want to believe that one day we can all coexist. I have so many dreams that I want you both to be a part of. Maybe I don't deserve to know. Maybe I've been too selfish. _

_I just hope I'm heard when I say that I didn't make this choice because I don't love you. That's not at all what it is. But I love him too, and I can't help but believe that this is right. It feels right. _

_All my love, _

_Aria_

She ran her fingers over the edge of the page as she read the last few words. It seemed like only yesterday she was thirteen, vacationing with her family in Spain and they were all curled up on a couch in a hotel lobby, taking pictures. In a flash, more than four years had passed, and she was lying in bed next to her boyfriend, no longer living with her parents.

Her fingers shook as she settled her journal on the table next to her and grabbed the envelope still lying in her lap. Her headphones till blared through her ears.

"_Wish you were here,  
><em>_Wish you well,  
><em>_If you'd only share this hell  
><em>_But you leave,  
><em>_And the stains are left on me  
><em>_I wish you, I wish you were here  
><em>_I wish you, I wish you were here  
><em>_Ohh, ohh…"_

She nervously pulled the flap open on the envelope and pulled out the small folded up sheet of paper. From the way her name was scrawled on it, she could tell that her mother had written it. She was terrified that this letter would mean the end of her relationship with her parents, even though she knew that she should read it. Part of her thought about ripping it up. Instead, she unfolded it and began to read.

_Aria, _

_It seems like it was only yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Actually, scratch that. It seems like only yesterday, I was finding out you were going to be born. I remember how excited I was when we brought you home from the hospital. I had been so determined to make sure everything in your room was perfect. _

_So easily, in just seventeen years, time has passed in the blink of an eye. I look in your room at least once a day as if I expect you'll be in there with Hanna, Spencer, and Emily laughing or talking about something scandalous, or well, as scandalous as teens can get. _

_I've replayed the conversations we had about Ezra over and over in my head in recent weeks. I hope one day I can understand your relationship the way you do. I asked Mike a few days ago how he came around to your relationship, and he told me that it was a mix of not wanting to see you hurting and knowing there was a possibility that maybe had judged your relationship wrong. _

_I want to be able to tell you that I feel the same way. But when you're a parent, it's ingrained to you in the first few years that you must protect your children, not raise them to be your best friend. I __**do**__ stand by the fact that we raised you to be independent and open-minded, but somewhere in the back of mind, screams this reasoning that your relationship is wrong. And I know it's not fair because if you were a year older or Ezra was four years younger, it wouldn't make any difference. _

_Often I wonder if I've been fair to you in all of this, because I've seen how happy you two are when you are together, but the logic in me screams that he's got you brainwashed. I'm trying desperately to put those thoughts aside and see the relationship through your point of view. Maybe one day I'll actually achieve that. I have to believe that with as well as your father and I managed to get to know Ezra before everything came out about the two of you, that he couldn't be entirely capable of doing such sinister things. Hopefully one day I'll fully believe that. _

_I only hope this doesn't keep us from never seeing you again. I am still your mother, and you will always be my baby girl. I love you. _

She exhaled a long, slow breath as she settled it on the nightstand and wiped tears off her face. There was a generous comfort given and large weight lifted from reading that letter.

She reached for her phone to turn off the music when it began to play a ringtone through her headphones instead.

"_Highs and lows  
><em>_There are pits and lands  
><em>_On the ground that you stand  
><em>_So, flux and flow  
><em>_Flux-"_

She tapped the screen of her phone as her brow knit in confusion. She mostly kept Hardy's number in her phone out of convenience and to be polite. She'd never really had a conversation along with the man, even though he was her boyfriend's best friend, and one of her best friend's boyfriend.

The iMessage came up and she read the text.

_**Can we meet tomorrow and talk about  
><strong>__**Addy? I think I'm driving Ezra nuts  
><strong>__**and you're her best friend…  
><strong>__**-Hardy**_

Aria stared at the screen for several moments longer. She genuinely felt bad for him. She knew that he loved Adriana, and more than that, she knew that Adriana loved Hardy. She really didn't understand what was keeping Adriana from just going home to him and working things out, but she didn't want to force Adriana to tell her anything either.

Nervously, she typed a 'sure' into the small box at the bottom of the screen and then hit send before she removed her earbuds from her ears and settled the iPhone on the bedside table and snuggled down into the blankets. The next few days were going to get very odd and interesting…


	6. Take Another Turn With A Better Hand

**A/N:** Given where this story is going and its eventual trilogy, I tried something a little different with this chapter and gave Hardy and Adriana their own scene. I **NEED** your thoughts/reviews on it, because they WILL affect how I continue to write the story. Oh, and forgive me for Ezra's outfit at the end of the chapter. I'd just watched the Lucian punkd. (On that subject, how cute was Lucy's outfit!)

**Disclaimer**: You know I forget these all the time…. I don't own Where Do You Go. If I'm correct, Alexz Johnson has all the rights to it. (Epic Records owned the rights for a while…). Its her song, written, recorded, ect., by her. Halo is also not mine. It's owned also by Epic Records and I guess also One Tree Hill, written by Kara DioGuardi and Matthew Gerrard, recorded by Bethany Joy Lenz under the pseudonym Haley James Scott.

_Chapter 6_

_Take Another Turn With A Better Hand_

Aria looked around at the people standing around her, nervously. She'd not been to a single court date so far, though it had more to do with the fact that she didn't want to miss any school that she didn't need to. As much as she wanted to watch Jackie fry for what she'd done to she and Ezra, she couldn't afford to get behind in school work. As it was, she'd missed the first three days, which essentially was the jury being picked and then opening arguments. She and Ezra were witnesses on behalf of their own case, so they really only needed to be present for their witness statements. She wondered how bad it looked though, that they weren't there every day. Every time she'd seen a cop show and there was a trial, the victims were always in the gallery.

Ezra and Hardy were chatting about something and they both seemed in generally good spirits. As far as she knew, Hardy and Adriana hadn't made much leeway from their current situation, but she was happy to see Hardy seeming to be happier. She'd felt terrible when she had met up with him at Retta's, because he could see that everything with Adriana was genuinely hurting him, but she honestly didn't know how to help, other than to listen. As it was, they were still on strained speaking terms, and Aria was pretty sure that if Adriana didn't change her attitude soon, she might just lose Hardy.

"Ezra. Aria. Court's being called into session."

She looked up at the court marshal who called their name and then led them both into a witness room outside of the courtroom where Jackie was being tried. Her nerves were a jumbled mess, and she felt like a volcano was going off inside of her because everything ached and burned from how scared she was. She wanted this to go right. She didn't want to do anything that would give Jackie a chance to get off.

Ezra wrapped his arms around her as they stood in the room together, and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Just breathe. Everything is going to be alright."

Aria forced a smile on her face as she looked up at him.

Before she knew it, she was being called out of the room and into the court room. She was dressed in a black dress with cap sleeves, and lacy tights. She was led up to the witness stand and then sworn in. Her eyes flitted across the room and her panic quelled just the tiniest amount when she spotted her parents in the gallery. She knew that they'd talked about coming to see her and Ezra's statements, but they hadn't said for sure.

Once the regular technicalities were aside, Spencer's mom stepped up and began to ask questions. She'd all but demanded the case when she'd found out what had happened, and Aria had faith that she could get the job done with Jackie.

"Aria can you please explain the events of May 24th as you remember them?" She asked.

Aria nodded. She trained her eyes in on her mother.

"_Aria, stop pacing. You're going to wear a hole into the floor of my classroom and pass out from hyperventilating," Ella insisted. _

_Aria looked up at her mother and shook her head. Tears were glittering in her eyes. "I don't know if I can do this. I- What if she gets off? I __**know**__ she'll do anything to kill me I she does, mom." Ella shook her head, getting up from her desk. She walked around it and stepped in front of Aria, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Don't let her get to you. When you're asked to answer a question, look at me. I'll do everything I can to be there." _

"I went over to Hollis after finishing my school day to meet up with Ezra, because we were meeting with my lawyer. When I got there, they were arguing about us. Ezra told her to leave, and then I went into his office and we talked for a bit.

"When we left, we went to get into his car. Normally I would've taken my car, but it wouldn't start that morning, so we had shared his. We were leaving Hollis and I realized my seatbelt was stuck. I kept pulling on it, figuring maybe it was stuck in the door or something. Ezra tried to help, but it still wouldn't come loose.

"I noticed we were coming up on a red light, so I told Ezra. We weren't slowing down, so I told him again, and he realized something was wrong with breaks. He thought we could make it through the intersection, and we couldn't stop. The next few seconds were a blur. Someone hit us and we rolled and then hit something really hard. I hit my head when we rolled and my chin hit the dashboard because of not being able to put on my seatbelt. I was hurt, but I was worried about Ezra because he was bleeding really bad and unconscious. My memories get fuzzy after that. I know we got separated when they took us out of the car, and Ezra kept saying something about the breaks being cut. After that, I don't remember waking up until the next morning." Veronica nodded. "Do know about how long you and Ezra were inside at Hollis before you left?" Aria shrugged. "Fifteen minutes? Maybe half an hour."

"What about Ms. Molina? Did you speak with or see her at all the day of the accident?"

Aria nodded. "She hit her shoulder against mine when she was leaving Ezra's office."

"Was that the first time she had tried coming between you two?" Veronica asked.

Aria shook her head. "She threatened to tell my parents about our relationship if I didn't break up with him, back in April."

"Thank you," Veronica said. "I have no more questions, your honor."

She retreated to her seat behind the table on the plaintiff's side of the room, and Jackie's lawyer rose from his seat. He didn't look much older than Mrs. Hastings, and he was less intimidating than Aria expected. He had salt-and-pepper shaded hair and chocolate brown eyes, and a chiseled face.

He retrieved a file from the table and walked over towards the witness stand. "Ms. Montgomery, have you ever threatened Ms. Molina?"

"No." Aria said firmly.

The lawyer narrowed her eyes at Aria. "Really? You never told her to leave town after presenting her with a paper she admittedly plagiarized?"

Aria gulped. "I-I told her she should leave town because I was being stalked, and the girl stalking me made me expose her."

Jackie's lawyer nodded. "The same girl who had been stalking you and your friends for eight months, correct?" Aria nodded nervously.

"So how can you be sure it wasn't this other girl, this Maya, that caused the accident?" He asked.

Aria gulped again, but Veronica quickly shot up out of her seat and called an objection. The judge agreed to it.

"Stay on track, counselor."

_-  
>Ain't nothing sweeter than Georgia peaches<br>-_

Aria laid down on her bed and yawned. "Today was **exhausting**. I swear, I thought that guy was going to rake me over the coals, Ezra." Ezra chuckled, sitting down on the bed next to her. "He didn't have anything valid to build off of. And something tells me he isn't very good at what he does, either." "I thought you said Jackie came from money," Aria said, confused.

Ezra nodded. "That doesn't mean her family didn't refuse to let her dig herself out of this mess. She's created a few of them in the past." "Like what?" Aria asked.

Ezra leaned back against the pillows behind him. "Like running her car into a pole. She was fine, but the car got totaled. Her dad is a business investor, but she's done some really stupid things with what she was given for an inheritance."

Aria rolled her eyes and shook her head. She switched the subject. "Why wasn't your mom there today? I thought she said there wasn't anything that would keep her from being there?"

Ezra shrugged, exhaling a jaded sigh. "She had to work. Probably all for the best, considering she doesn't much like your parents. Anyway, I'm sure she'll show up for the sentencing anyway. Aria curled next to him and tilted her head up on his shoulder to look at him. "I can't believe it only took the jury twenty minutes to decide. That has to be unheard of."

"Well thankfully for us, Maya left detailed information about her involvement with Jackie, and the police had those videos that she took the day of the accident." Aria shuddered at the mention of the videos. She'd only received the one of their accident, but after the police did a search of Maya's parents home, they found more from the day, including one of Maya recording Jackie tampering with Ezra's car. They'd had the privilege of seeing the video before going to trial.

"I hate her," Aria murmured. "I know that's a bad thing to say, but I really do. I'll never understand why she thinks the things she did are okay. That accident could've killed you."

Ezra pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm not fond of her, either. I think she deserves whatever gets handed down in terms of sentencing. I don't think what she did was okay. I don't understand how she got so far away from who she was when we were together, or even who I thought she was, but I've got to believe she wasn't always that way."

Aria turned over and pushed herself up so that she was eye-level with Ezra. "Did you see Adriana and Hardy today at Hollis?"

Ezra chuckled at her less-than-subtle transition to a different topic. "Yeah. It was nice to see them actually communicating for once. And I hope to God that she's finally getting her head on straight because listening to Hardy constantly yammer on about how much he misses her and wants to be with her is getting to be a bit much."

Aria laughed quietly. She had told about Ezra about the few times that she'd met up with Hardy, though the awkwardness about it had yet to wear off. She wasn't quite sure why _exactly_ it was so awkward when they were alone together. Their group was pretty tight knit, but save for the day at the bar back at the beginning of the previous school year, the two of them had really never been around each other alone, and even then it had only been for a moment here or there.

"He really loves her," she insisted after a moment. "You should be happy about that."

"I am," Ezra insisted. "What I'm worried about is that Adriana is going to wait so long to realize that she loves him too, and he's going to give up and move on. You can only string someone along for so long before they give up because it hurts too much."

Aria's mirth faded away quickly and her expression changed.

Ezra cupped her face in his hands. "I wasn't talking about you. Jackie did the same thing though. She went back and forth and back and forth, and then when she finally made up her mind, it was too late. It's not fair when someone says 'I love you but I can't be with you'."

_-  
>Don't turn around, I'm sick and tired of your face<br>__Don't make this worse, you've already gone and got me mad  
>-<em>

Adriana dropped her bag onto the counter and then followed Hardy over to the couch. They had both gone straight from Jackie's trial over to Hollis for classes that they had at the end of the day, and afterwards, he had invited her to come over for dinner. She wasn't entirely sure she'd made the right choice saying yes, but she had agreed to it anyway.

She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Hardy, though she left enough space between them to feel comfortable. He passed her a slice of pizza and a napkin. She thanked him.

"This trial seemed to go by pretty quickly," he commented.

Adriana nodded. "She deserved the guilty return verdict, though. I swear if I never see her again, it still won't be enough justice or almost killing Ezra and Aria."

Hardy nodded. They both had similar feelings on Jackie. Their mutual dislike of her had been one of the first things they ended up having in common. Over time that had changed as they got to know each other better, but she remained one of the key things they still managed to bond over.

"Did you ever think we'd end up here?" Hardy asked when he'd polished down two slices of pizza.

Adriana wiped her mouth with her napkin and furrowed her brow, perplexed. "Here, how exactly?" Hardy shrugged. "Living somewhere besides New York. Dating." He laughed. "Ezra getting involved with a student." Adriana laughed as well. They both knew Ezra far too well to have ever expected his relationship with Aria to happen. It had been a surprise to both of them when they'd found out about her. Granted, instead of busting his balls like Hardy had, Adriana had sympathized with her brother. She hadn't quite figured out yet if it was because when he told her about Aria, she was already secretly dating Hardy and she felt guilty for keeping it from him, or if she was just being the bigger person.

She tilted her head to the side, chewing on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "I honestly thought I'd go to NYU. I figured Ezra would end up working at one of the private schools on the upper east side and, shame my mouth for even uttering these words, but I thought he'd end up married to Jackie."

Hardy laughed. "On second thought, thank **God** he hooked up with Aria. I praise her daily for not making me want to strangle her every time she opens her mouth."

"Yes!" Adriana giggled, giving Hardy a high five. "Sometimes when she talked, I just wanted to stick ear plugs in to drown out the sound. I swear a cat in a blender has better vocal abilities than her."

Things fell silent between them and Adriana began to grow uncomfortable. She felt like she was encroaching on his space and if she had no right to be there.

"What happened to you, Addy?" Hardy asked.

She looked up at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that something about you has shut off in these past few weeks. You're more reserved. And the girl I've known the last five years never would've run from a relationship like you did. I can't even figure out what we are anymore."

Adriana pressed her lips together and her eyes grew warm from the tears starting to build behind them. "I'm sorry-"

"I don't want you to be sorry," he said, exasperated. "I want you to tell me what you're so afraid of."

The attempt to stave off crying was fruitless the moment a tear rolled over her eyelid and began to drift down her face. She shook her head and pushed up off the couch. Hardy was quick to follow after her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around in the middle of the room.

"I'm not going to let you leave this time," he insisted. "Not before you tell my why you're doing this to us."

Adriana shook her head at him. "I'm not good enough for you."

"That's a lie and you know it," he admonished. "I love you and I know that you love me, so why can't you just be honest about it?"

She brushed his hands off her arms. "You shouldn't wait around for me. I come from a family too screwed up to make a real relationship work and last."Hardy stared at her for several long moments, surprised by her comment.

"Adriana-"

"No!" She cried, shaking her head at him. "My dad was an abusive jerk and it took my mom almost a decade to leave him! I can't go there Hardy. I can't risk making myself a hypocrite. I swore I'd never get married and then have to get divorced." "And what makes you think we can't make a relationship last?" He ask, softening his expression.

"We're **not** the kind of people who, in a relationship together, can make something like sixty years last in a marriage, Hardy! Before me, you were with a different girl every week! And I've never been serious with anyone like this before! We'd be foolish to do something as stupid as to get married." Adriana insisted.

Her words stung him like a thousand knives stabbed into his body. "You don't really mean that."

Adriana shook her head. "Except the part where I do."

She walked over to the island and grabbed her bag off of it. She was going to walk out, when he spoke again, stopping her in her tracks.

"We're too screwed up to make a real relationship work, but you'll stand up and fight against anyone who says **Ezra and Aria** can't make it? What kind of hypocrisy is that and where can I order some?" He asked sardonically.

"That's a **completely **different story," she argued. "I hardly believe we're anything like those two!"

"Maybe not," he agreed. "But who says we can't be better?" Adriana forced a laugh, wiping her tears off her face. "Better than the couple who would bend over backwards for each other and give anything to see each other happy, even if it means hurting themselves. I'm sorry, but I **dream** of having a love like that."

"And you don't think we're capable of that?" He asked.

Adriana shook her head, swallowing against the knot in her throat. "That question answers itself. If we were capable of making a relationship like that work, we wouldn't be where we are right now."

_-  
>Falling apart and all that I question<br>__Is this a dream or is it my lesson  
>-<em>

Aria grabbed a cup of coffee off the counter and walked over to the table where her 'group' was seated. A new café named Paradigm had opened at the end of September, and it seemed to be the new place that everyone hung out. She'd agreed to meet her friends, and Ezra and Adriana had joined her as well. Spencer, Hanna and Emily had also brought their significant others, and plenty of other students from both Rosewood and Hollis were also there.

She walked over to the table that Ezra was seated at and sat down on his lap. The place was relatively packed for the evening, and getting up from a chair to get something to drink was the same as offering up your seat.

Ezra wrapped his hand around her back and looked up at her. "Are you doing the open mic night?"

Aria shook her head. "I'm sure these people have had enough of me singing after battle of the bands."

"That was almost six months ago!" Spencer boasted. "You can't have possibly not written anything since then."

"She has," Ezra replied, stealing a cake pop from one of the trays laying out on the table. They were sharing it with Hardy, Hanna, Caleb, Spencer, Toby, Emily and Paige. Lucas, Mona, Sean and Adriana were at the surrounding tables. They were all sharing their purchases. "She just refuses to play live."

Aria scowled at him, dropping her forehead against his. "None of them are that good!"

Ezra shook his head at her. "What about Where Do You Go? I like that one."

Aria blushed, shaking her head. "Where Do You Go was written at a time when I was being really foolish and needed to get over myself. It's stupid."

"Liar!"

Aria whipped her head around and laughed as Adriana came to stand next to her.

"I've heard you sing it," she said as she stole a cake pop from the table. She took a bite from it. "It's a good song." Aria narrowed her eyes at Adriana. "If I sing, you have to, too."

"Deal," Adriana agreed without skipping a beat.

Aria scowled at her and then chuckled, shaking her head as Ezra teasingly shoved her off his lap. She looked around at her friends and then shook her head and headed towards the stage. One of the people working came up and adjusted the microphone as she sat down at a keyboard at the front of the stage. She was barely seated for five seconds when everyone suddenly grew quiet and turned their attention to her.

She swallowed a thick knot in her throat and took several deep breaths.

"I'm totally doing this on a dare," she said with a nervous dare. She reached a hand up and pulled off the skull beanie she was wearing off her head and scratched her head, shifting her hair around a bit before pulling her beanie back on. She placed her hands on the keys she would need to start the song with and then looked back up at the crowd of her peers and pressed her lips together. "I wrote this song this summer about a couple of people. I was struggling a lot with a number of things, and somehow this was born out of it. No one has heard it in it's entirety just yet. Its called Where Do You Go."

She pressed a few keys to make sure the piano was on and then began to play.

"_I'm as blue as blue can be  
><em>_I'm surprised you even recognize me  
><em>_When you're gone for seven weeks  
><em>_Not surprised if you're done with me_

_You think I'm fine  
><em>_But you've been so blind  
><em>_Been lagging behind_

_This façade is tough to keep  
><em>_I'll be there when I get back  
><em>_Don't wait up for me_

_No I haven't had much sleep  
><em>_I've been counting all the moons on the balcony  
><em>_You think it's a lie  
><em>_I'm telling you why  
><em>_I'm lagging behind_

_I'm losing my mind  
><em>_But you've been so blind  
><em>_Been lagging behind_

_Where do you go when you feel no good?  
><em>_Where do you go when you know you should?  
><em>_What do you stay when you feel that way?  
><em>_Where do you go?Where do you go away?_

_Now I've lost all sense of time  
><em>_I'm surprised when there's a sunrise  
><em>_I've been on this yellow road  
><em>_Will it take me to the witch  
><em>_Or the city of gold?_

_Will it shine  
><em>_Friend of mine  
><em>_I'm lagging behind_

_And you think I'm fine  
><em>_But you've been so blind  
><em>_Been lagging behind_

_Where do you go when you feel no good?  
><em>_Where do you go when you know you should?  
><em>_What do you stay when you feel that way?  
><em>_Where do you go?Where do you go_

_When you're running out of shade  
><em>_Running out of highway  
><em>_When you need someone to blame  
><em>_But there isn't anybody_

_Where do you go when you feel no good?  
><em>_Where do you go when you know you should?  
><em>_What do you stay when you feel that way?  
><em>_Where do you go? Where do you go away?_

_I'm as blue as blue can be…  
><em>_I'm surprised you even recognize me…."_

Somewhere in the midst of the music, she lost herself as she often did while playing, and her eyes slowly opened as the last of her voice drifted through the speakers. A deep red filled her cheeks as people around her clapped and cheered. A few people whistled. A smile tugged across her face as she ran her sweaty palms against her jeans and then stood and walked back over to her table and returned to her place in Ezra's lap.

"Here," Hanna teased as she handed Aria a cup of iced coffee. "Cool yourself down before you become a tomato." Aria chuckled and took the cup from her. She took several long sips from it, relishing in the comfort of the cool liquid wetting her mouth. Slowly, the heat in her cheeks started to drift away.

She turned to Adriana a moment later.

"You promised."

Adriana nodded with narrowed eyes, as if she'd been given a task to fulfill. She stood from the chair she'd been sitting in and walked up to the stage.

"She's not gonna chicken out at the last second, is she?" Aria asked as she leaned back against Ezra. She wrapped her hand over his where it rested on her stomach.

"Nope," Ezra insisted. "She loves singing in front of crowds."

Aria turned her attention back to Adriana as she finished off her coffee.

Adriana settled on a stool at the front of the stage, holding an electric guitar in her lap. She strummed a few notes on it and then looked back up at Aria.

"My turn for that dare." She adjusted the microphone and then strummed a few more chords. "I've written lyrics since I was a teenager. I think growing up in a family that expects a lot of you makes you need a creative outlet. I wrote this song when I was fifteen from the standpoint that both my brother and I were living with, being under the expectations of our family to do well. Lately, it's been in my head a lot, so I thought I'd share it with you."

She tapped her foot in the air a few times, counting the timing in her head before she began to play the guitar. At the same moment she began to sing.

"_I never promised you a ray of light  
><em>_I never promised there'd be sunshine every day  
><em>_I gave you everything I have  
><em>_the good, the bad_

_why do you put me on a pedestal  
><em>_I'm so up high that I can't see the ground below  
><em>_so help me down you've got it wrong,  
><em>_I don't belong there…"_

Just like they had been quiet when Aria was singing, the entire café fell silent and watched in awe as Adriana played. Aria was entranced by Adriana's singing and playing. She'd never even known she had any musical talent.

"_one thing is clear,  
><em>_I wear a halo,  
><em>_I wear a halo,  
><em>_when you look at me  
><em>_but standing from here  
><em>_you wouldn't say so,  
><em>_you wouldn't say so  
><em>_if you were me and  
><em>_I just wanna love you  
><em>_oh, oh, I, I just wanna love you_

_I always said that I would make mistakes  
><em>_I'm only human  
><em>_and that's my saving grace  
><em>_I fall as hard as I try  
><em>_so don't be blinded_

_see me as I really am  
><em>_I have faults  
><em>_and sometimes I even sin  
><em>_so pull me from that pedestal  
><em>_I don't belong there_

_one thing is clear,  
><em>_I wear a halo,  
><em>_I wear a halo,  
><em>_when you look at me  
><em>_but standing from here  
><em>_you wouldn't say so,  
><em>_you wouldn't say so  
><em>_if you were me and  
><em>_I just wanna love you  
><em>_oh, oh, I, I just wanna love you_

_you'd like to think that you know me,  
><em>_but in your eyes  
><em>_I am something above me  
><em>_it's only in your mind  
><em>_only in your mind..._

_I wear, I wear  
><em>_I wear a halo_

_one thing is clear,  
><em>_I wear a halo,  
><em>_I wear a halo,  
><em>_when you look at me  
><em>_but standing from here  
><em>_you wouldn't say so,  
><em>_you wouldn't say so  
><em>_if you were me and  
><em>_I just wanna love you  
><em>_oh, oh, I, I just wanna love you…."_

Yet again, the crowd erupted in applause and a few cheers. Aria clapped as hard as she could, and hopped up from her seat to hug Adriana when she returned back to the table.

"That was so good!" She squealed.

Adriana chuckled, hugging her back. "You've got no reason to hold back if you've got talent! People obviously stopped to listen to you and liked it. You're great and you deserve the recognition." She insisted as she pulled away, and rested her hands on Aria's shoulders, looking her in the eyes.

Aria blushed again and smiled back at her. She hugged her once more. "I love you."

They hugged for a few moments longer, but as they stood there, Aria spotted the look on Spencer's face, and her smile faltered just the slightest. She hated knowing that Spencer was jealous of her friendship with Adriana, regardless of why. They were both her best friends and she loved both of them equally.

She exhaled a long breath as they sat down, and then the rest of the evening proceeded in a lazier manner. As the night wore on, people began to file out of the shop, heading off towards different destinations. By the time dinner time rolled around, most of the patrons were gone.

Aria took a long drink from her fifth cup of coffee and looked around the café. Ezra was a few tables away, talking to Mateo. She'd met him earlier in the evening when he'd shown up to meet his girlfriend before she had headed off somewhere. It seemed appropriate though, considering the only correspondence she'd actually had with the man was the comments she'd seen him post on Ezra's Hollis page. They had shared a good half-hour conversation, with the agreement to get dinner that weekend and finally have a formal meeting.

Hardy sat back down at the table, and Aria looked up at him.

"Avoiding home?" She asked, chewing on a chocolate cake pop. It was ridiculous how much she was spoiling her appetite for dinner.

Hardy nodded, taking a drink from the latte he'd just ordered. "She tell you about the conversation we had yesterday after dinner?" Aria thought for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "She told me that you had an argument and she tried to make it clear that she wasn't going to change her mind. That's about it."

Hardy laughed sardonically. "She told me she can't be with me because we lack the stamina to make the relationship last."

"Oh ouch," Aria said, feigning a look of pain.

"I just don't understand how she was with me for almost a year if she really felt that way," Hardy exclaimed. Since when did relationships become ticking bombs?"

Aria shook her head. "I don't think she really feels like that. Coming from someone who was afraid to commit to what was right in front of them, its hard when you've seen your parents struggle to make their marriage work, and then someone is asking you to spend the rest of your life with them." She looked across the café at Ezra, where he was seated in a booth across from Mateo. He had on a button-up flannel shirt and black jeans, and a black beanie on his head. Everyone had teased them the first hour they'd been there about how much they looked like twins because she was in dark blue jeans, a crimson half-sleeved shirt and also had on a beanie.

"I love him so much, but even so, I had to question things and make sure I was making the right choices. Forever is a long time, you know."

"So you really think she's going to come around?" Hardy asked.

Aria nodded. "I have entire faith that she will. The only person I'm closer to than her is Ezra, and I like to think the feeling's mutual. She's gonna realize you're the one for her. Just give it time."

Hardy gave a small smile as he listened to her. "I totally misjudged you when I first met you."

Aria smiled back at him. "How so?"

Hardy shook his head, chuckling. "I was so sure when Ezra hooked up with you that he was an idiot and that somehow you were going to screw him over. I didn't ever consider that you might be a good suit or him."

Aria chuckled. "Well I didn't ever see you as someone who would settle down, so I guess people can surprise you."

"Yeah," Hardy joked. "Go us for defying the odds."

Aria's head dropped back as she laughed. When she managed to get her bearings, it took her another few moments to not start laughing again. "You're a really great friend for Ezra. You probably keep him from going through himself sometimes."

"Recognize," Hardy laughed.

Aria shook her head, struggling not to break into another fit of laughter.

Ezra walked up behind her and sat down in the chair next to hers. "What are we laughing about?"

Aria shook her head, smiling at him. "Nothing. We should go before he makes me pee my pants."

Ezra nodded, looking down at the cake pop and coffee in each of her hands. "And before you entirely spoil your dinner on sugar." He turned to Hardy as he pushed up from the chair he'd been sitting in. "See you tomorrow, man." Hardy nodded to him, looking over his shoulder. Mateo was still sitting in the same booth across the café. He stood and walked across the café.

Aria pushed up out of her seat and pushed her lips out at Ezra in a pout. "Home?" He nodded, wrapping an arm tightly around her. He tilted his head down and kissed her pouting lips.

"Home."


	7. Wherever You Are Is Where I Wanna Be

**A/N:** As I've stated before, I know **nothing** about emancipation, so a lot of what I'm writing on the subject is a shot in the dark. Also, I've stated this in other stories, but I only had one regular year of high school; everything after that was in alternative programs. Figuring out classes for Aria is purely on guessing. Oh, and then there's the whole part where I've never been through a trial…

Finally, there's a subject that I've gotten a lot of questions/requests/ect., on since I started 40 Days And Counting, so it finally came up in this chapter.

_Chapter 7_

_Wherever You Are Is Where I Wanna Be_

Aria flipped through her English textbook, writing answers to the final bit of homework she had left to do before class started. She'd shown up early to discuss permission slip issues with the principal and her mother. They were set to go to Philadelphia in a few days for a theatre performance, but there had been issues with how to deal with the situation. Apparently there hadn't been very many students in the past who had emancipated themselves, and none while Principal Davis had been running the school.

"I don't understand this question." She said, flipping her textbook shut.

Ella turned around from the chalkboard and brushed her hands off. "What question?"

"Explain the characteristic differences between Sophie and Kaylie, and how it relates to the theme." Aria said.

Ella leaned down over her desk, flipping her teacher's handbook shut. "Well Sophie was just trying to help Kaylie get out of a tough situation, but all Kaylie could see was what Kaylie was taking away from her. And the theme was settled around people making choices to help the people they love, even if it's not what that person wants at the time."

Aria narrowed her eyes at Ella. "Aren't you technically helping me cheat?"

Ella chuckled. "Aria, this is everything you said in class yesterday."

Aria gave a small smile, scribbling her answers onto her paper before she flipped the packet shut. Her phone buzzed on her desk. She couldn't avoid the slight narrowing of Ella's eyes, like she was being scolded for having her phone in class, even though the day hadn't started yet. She used to receive the same looks for texting while doing her homework.

"You and Ezra doing alright?" Ella asked.

Aria looked up, surprised. "Yeah. Why?"

"You look kind of upset," Ella commented.

Aria sighed, settling her phone back on the desk. "No. It's Spencer. She's been upset with me lately, and I don't know how to fix it."

Ella sat down in her chair behind the desk. "How so?"

Aria shook her head, turning her phone down to silent and settling it inside her bag. "I don't know what I did. We were fine a few months ago, but it seems like the more I try to include Adriana in to everything, the more jealous Spencer gets. I'm not trying to replace her, but Adriana has been really great about, like _everything_. She never disqualified me from anything, and she's always just been really fair."

"She's probably afraid of losing you," Ella replied.

"We're not going to the same college next year," Aria said. "We're going to have to separate at some point."

Ella nodded. "Right. But I'm sure there's a threatening feeling at the idea of losing _another _best friend. You guys have been close for years. It's very scary when you lose a friend; especially in a group. There's always that fear that if you lose one, you'll lose everyone."

Aria sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Well I can't change Spencer's feelings about Adriana, and Adriana can't really, either."

"That's true. Sometimes you just need to give it time. Spencer will realize that you're not leaving her behind." Ella said.

Aria pushed up out of her desk and walked over to her mother's desk. She grabbed a tissue. "Are you going to the Harvest Gala on Halloween weekend?"

Ella shook her head, writing something on a grading book lying open on the desk. "Your father and I will be in New York that weekend for a conference. There's been a lot of talk about it through the PTA, though. Apparently it's going to be pretty massive. Are you?"

Aria shrugged, tossing the tissue into the trash. "If Spencer doesn't decide to rescind my invite. Her mom and Melissa are on the committee throwing it."

"I doubt she'll do that." Ella said reassuringly. "Maybe dressing a warehouse will help things get better."

Aria giggled, shaking her head as she sat back down in her desk. "I swear every time we finally get the pictures back from one party, we're involved in the planning of another."

"Well sweetheart, we do live in Rosewood," Ella chuckled. "Lots of rich families from New York and Philadelphia migrate here, and the schools look good on an application. Even Hollis…"

"A town for the Ivy Leagues," Aria chuckled. "I always loved it here, but sometimes the realization of how high the curriculum is, is scary. It applies a lot of pressure."

Ella nodded. "Makes sense that Ezra thought you were a college student."

Aria's mouth turned up just the slightest. It had only been a few days since her mother had given her that letter, but there was a comfort in knowing that she was trying.

"Yeah. He's pretty great."

Ella looked down as her cell phone buzzed on the desk. She opened it up and then looked up at Aria. "Have you checked your text messages?"

Aria's brow knit in confusion. She reached down and grabbed her phone out of her bag. The screen came up with a text message from Ezra.

_**Jackie's sentencing is getting  
><strong>__**handed down today at 1. Can  
><strong>__**you come?  
><strong>__**-Ezra**_

Aria gulped, biting her lips as she looked around the room.

Ella walked over to the desk next to hers and leaned against it. "Aria, she was given a guilty verdict. Nothing is going to happen other than her being sentenced. And then you don't **ever**have to see her again."

Aria rested her elbows on the top of her desk and covered her face. She jumped nervously as Ella rubbed her back consolingly. Tears blurred her vision as she looked up at her mom.

"I don't understand how someone does the things she did and not feel remorse about **any** of it. Mom, she looked at me like it was **nothing** for her to cut the breaks on his car. She didn't care if he got hurt or if either of us ended up dead." Aria cried.

"You **can't** try to level with her, Aria. No matter how much you try, it won't happen. It's the same as trying to understand Maya. Have you talked to Dr. Sullivan about any of this?" Ella asked.

Aria shrugged, wiping away the tears on her face. "No. I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I mean everything else was going on, and it never really bothered me before."

"Sometimes when the dust settles, that's when things really come crashing down," Ella said. "Everything slows down and starts to go back to normal, and then you start to realize that what happened isn't as okay as it was when it was happening."

"Yeah, yeah, PTSD, I get it," Aria said with a roll of her eyes.

Ella chuckled. Just like that, the teenager in Aria was alive again. She walked over to her desk and sat down. Kids began to fill into the room and before long the day had started. Ella began the lesson for the day and Aria's worries about Jackie fell away as she focused on her school work.

_-  
>I will be brave, I will be bold<br>-_

Aria exhaled a sigh, pulling her bag higher up on her shoulder as she walked into the court house. She felt underdressed for the occasion. She'd only dressed in jeans and a lacy green t-shirt, and a black sweatshirt.

She looked around the spacious hallway for a few moments as she stood there before she spotted Ezra halfway down the hall talking with Veronica Hastings. He waved her over as she walked towards them, and wrapped his arm loosely around her. He kissed her forehead.

"You okay?" He asked.

Aria nodded, leaning into him. "I need to ask you about something after, though."

Veronica smiled at Aria. "It's good to see you here. I haven't spoken with the judge yet so whatever has come down for sentencing is as much news to me as it is to you. Don't worry too much about the legal jargon they use. I'll talk you through it once it's all wrapped up. It won't be more than five minutes as it is."

Aria nodded nervously and then walked into the courtroom with Ezra and Veronica. She followed him into the first row in the gallery and then sat down, tucking her hands between her legs nervously. Ezra rubbed his hand up and down her back comfortingly.

Jackie was led into the room in handcuffs, and as much as Aria wanted to enjoy it, her head was in other places. She stood again a few moments later as the judge came into the room and then sat again. As Veronica said, there was a lot of legal talk that only barely made any sense to her. By her expression, the news seemed good, though.

She led them out of the courtroom a few minutes later and over to a bench. "The good news is that with the multiple charges, she's been given a life sentence, essentially."

"What about the time served thing?" Ezra asked. Aria looked up, only have marginally paid attention up to that point.

Veronica nodded. "They did give time served for the past few months, but she's got forty years _before_chance for parole. In other words, it's safe to take a breath. She's not getting out of jail to come after you."

Ezra seemed cheerful about the news, but the best Aria could manage was a smile. Veronica left them a few minutes later to take a call and he turned his attention more towards her.

"Where's your head at?" He asked.

Aria looked up at him, unable to let the pout on her face fall away. "Would you want to go with me to see Dr. Sullivan again?"

"Sure. Is there something wrong? Something you're upset about?"

She exhaled a heavy breath, brushing a strand behind her ear. "I don't know. I guess maybe I thought when we went through the trial and everything, that things would be better. But now that it's over, I'm scared. I don't know how I made it so possible, but two people tried to kill me this year, and I didn't see it coming."

Ezra cupped his hands around her face and shook his head, brushing his nose up against hers. "You're not to blame for what they did. You guys found out that Alison was being stalked, too. You can't let yourself think that it was ever your fault that they made the choices they did."

Aria frowned, tilting her head up to look at him. "I do."

_-  
>Who doesn't long for someone to hold<br>__Who knows how to love you without being told  
>-<em>

Aria shoved her notebooks aside on the counter and ran her hands into her hair, pulling it up into a ponytail. "I'm so **sick **of studying. I'll be glad when we're finished with these midterms. Hanna, ha-"

She glared at her blond friend and snatched the magazine she was flipping through out of her hands. Hanna scowled at her. "Hey!"

Aria rolled her eyes, flipping the magazine shut and putting it on the other side of her textbooks where Hanna couldn't reach them. "How in the world are you planning on passing these tests?"

Hanna stuck her tongue out at Aria. "I'm planning on learning the answers in my sleep."

"Hanna!" Aria squealed. "There's a difference between coasting through your senior year and floundering through it."

"Alright, alright, mom," Hanna whined. "Why so grumpy?"

Aria narrowed her gaze at Hanna. "I'm not grumpy."

"You're certainly not happy," Hanna argued.

Aria shook her head, slamming her textbooks shut. The action made Hanna jump, surprised at such an outward showing of emtotion. "Aria-"

"It's stupid!" Aria insisted. She huffed and looked over at Hanna. "Sorry. It's just ridiculous. It's Jackie, and the trial being over, and Maya, and school, and my parents, and Spencer… Everything is just boiling over into too much right now, and I don't know how to handle any of it."

"Wait, what about Spencer?" Hanna asked.

Aria shook her head, stuffing her books into her book bag. "She's upset with me because I've been spending a lot of time with Adriana. My mother thinks she's afraid of losing me, but right now…" She sunk down on her stool and looked over at Hanna. "How do I fix this, Han? I can't tell Ezra to kick Adriana out. And Adriana is a really great friend."

Hanna snuck her magazine across the counter slowly. "Just talk to her. I mean we all lost Alison and then you were gone, and when you came back, Maya was A, and when things finally stopped, you were almost killed in a car accident. Plus with your emancipation, and living back with Ezra…"

"I know," Aria said. "But, I'm not bailing on anyone. I haven't stopped being your friend. I'm not letting Adriana pull me away from you guys. If anything I've tried to include her."

"I know," Hanna agreed. "But I've got Mona, and Emily's got Paige and the entire swim team, and you've got Ezra and Adriana. We've all got these people outside of our group, but Spencer. Sure, she's got Toby and she and Melissa are better, but I think she just misses having you around. You **were **always the one she was closest to."

"So you don't think I'm being unfair?" Aria asked.

"From my standpoint?" Hanna replied. "Not really, but then I've got people around me outside of the four of us. Spencer doesn't." She grabbed her phone out of her bag as she stuffed her magazine in it. "Speaking of, Caleb is coming into Philadelphia tonight, and I said I'd pick him up. I'll see you later?"

Aria nodded, giving a slight wave as she watched Hanna pack her things and walk out. She sat there for a few minutes and considered what Hanna had said before she finally stood and grabbed her things. She threw a few dollars on the counter and then walked out of the grill and headed towards her car.

She tossed her things into the passenger when she was settled inside it and then started the car and headed towards Spencer's house. She had no idea what she was going to say, but she hoped that it wouldn't lead to an argument.

A few minutes later, she was parking her car outside the Hastings home. She grabbed her keys and her cell phone and then headed up to the barn where Spencer had officially moved in for senior year. She knocked lightly on the door.

A few moments later, the door opened. "Aria."

"Hey Spence," she murmured. "Can we talk?"

Spencer seemed apprehensive, but she nodded after a few moments and opened the door wider to grant Aria access. They walked into the small sitting area and sat down on either sides of the couch.

"What's up?" Spencer asked.

Aria chewed the inside of her cheek nervously for a moment. "I jus- I know we've been having a tough time lately, and I wanted to fix it."

"It's not a tough time, Aria," Spencer said with a sardonic chuckle. "You're spending every spare minute with Adriana. You're _choosing_ other things over this friendship."

Aria's forehead creased with frustration. "That's not fair, Spencer. She's **living**in my apartment right now! Am I just supposed to tell Ezra to ask her to pack her things and leave because she's around all the time now whenever we have plans?"

"No, but-"

"What if it was you?" Aria asked. "What if you had to move out because someone Melissa was dating didn't want you here? That's not fair."

"You're **always** with her, Aria!" Spencer argued. She pushed up from the couch and walked over to her bed. She spun around and looked up at Aria, holding the bracelet that Alison had gotten with her name on it. "It's not that she lives with you, its that every time we're supposed to have plans, it's changed at the last minute to include her! I'm not saying she's a bad person, either, but are you there every time she's with **her** friends?"

"I can only do so much, Spence. I just thought maybe you'd be more open to a new person in our group. She's really a good person if you'd just give her a chance."

"Is she your new best friend?" Spencer asked curtly.

Aria scowled. "No! She's- she's Ezra's sister. I mean eventually she's- What does it matter!"

"Just trying to ascertain when exactly I'm going to be replaced," Spencer said.

Aria huffed. "Nobody is being replaced!" She shook her head, looking down at the necklace Adriana had gotten her for her birthday. She'd been rushing after PE and had wrapped it twice around her wrist instead. It was right next to the charm bracelet her friends had gotten her, as well as her bracelet from Alison. She looked back up at Spencer. "Is this the whole 'sisters' thing?"

"What?" Spencer asked, annoyed.

Aria curled a finger under her bracelets. "She got me a necklace that says sisters, and I've worn it a lot lately. It doesn't mean anything other than the fact that I like it, Spencer."

Spencer shook her head, sinking down onto her bed. "No, Aria. It does. In a little more than six months, we're going to graduate and we're all going off to different universities in different cities. You and Ezra will probably get married, which will **really** make Adriana your sister. After all I went through with Melissa last year, you and I got really close, and as ridiculous as **you** might think it sounds, it feels like replacement to me. **You've** even said we're alike."

Aria nodded, standing up from the couch. She walked over to Spencer and perched on the side of the bed. "Yeah. But that doesn't mean she's replacing you. Adriana might legally be my sister one day, but she's never going to replace you, or Hanna, or Emily **or Alison**. Adriana can't go back and time and become a part of our group sooner, but I still love her like I love you. No more, no less. But you have been **such **an amazing friend, and just because things are going to change when the school year ends doesn't mean that we won't still be friends or that I won't still love you. There may not ever be a legal document that binds us, but you are just as much my sister as she is. All of my girl friends had been better friends this year than I ever could have asked for." She let out a small laugh. "After the way we all cut each other off after Alison, I'm lucky to have gotten you guys back. After all, I **am **the one who left."

"Really?" Spencer asked.

Aria nodded. She and Spencer hugged. They parted a moment later.

"I promise we'll do something with just the two of us soon," Aria said. "Maybe after the gala. My schedule is a little crazy up until then and I know you've got stuff, too."

Spencer nodded. "But something."

_-  
>Don't you ever wonder how we survive<br>__Now that you're gone the world is ours  
>-<em>

Ezra stared at the scar on his arm as he sat at the table in the jail. He had no intention of ever making another visit after this one, but as he'd told Aria, he wanted Jackie to know he was officially done with her. Plus, he had a few choice words for her of his own.

The scar from his surgery was a reminder of that. He still had trouble coalescing the Jackie whom he'd dated on and off for three years with the woman who could do something as reckless and vile as strip the brakes on his car and nearly kill him. It just didn't seem right when he thought about it.

He looked up as the door to the room opened up and the jangling of chains brought his attention back to the present. She came into the room with a guard as an escort. He led her over to the table and then she sat down across from Ezra.

"What're you here for?" She asked. She didn't look all that pleased to see him.

Ezra stared at her for several long minutes. He really didn't know where to start. There was a lot he wanted to ask her, but there was a lot that he also wanted to scream at her. Finally he sighed.

"Why'd you do it, Jack? You could've had everything."

She chuckled, shaking her head at him. "You're just so blind to it still, Ezra. You'll never see it while you're with her."

he shook his head at her. "I'm never **not** going to be with her, Jackie. I _**love **_her. More than I ever could've been capable of loving you."

The words surprised his as the came out of his mouth. He wasn't aware that he was capable of saying something like that. He never had been in the past; not to a woman and certainly not one he claimed to have loved at one point. But he knew as he said the words, that they were true.

"I could never love someone who could take pleasure in the pain of others. You could've killed Aria in that accident. In fact, you probably would have, if you'd had it your way. If things had been even just a little bit different in the car that day, we both could've died, and it would've been squarely on your shoulders," he said.

"Ezra-"

"No," he said, cutting her off. "There's nothing you can say or do. You're not worth my time, and I'm not sure why I ever thought you were to begin with. What you did was vile and so entirely beneath the standards I held you up to. I thought I knew you better than this, Jackie. I only wish I'd seen it sooner instead of pining away over you."

Tears were in her eyes, but he really didn't care.

"The greatest thing you ever did for me was give me back the engagement ring," he told her. "And you're never going to see me again. I'll promise you that right here and now. I waited until the trial and sentencing was over because I wanted you to know when I was looking you in the eyes that this very moment would be the last time you'd ever see me. I'm never going to change my mind, and all the questions I'll ever have for you won't be enough to make me come back here."

He pushed up from the table and walked away, ignoring her repeated usage of his name as he walked out of the visiting room and headed out of the station. There was nothing else that Jackie Molina could ever do or say to make him ever want or need to see her again.

_-  
>She loves her mommas lemonade,<br>__Hates the sound that goodbye's make  
>-<em>

Aria closed her reading book for English and settled it on her lap as Adriana came walking out of the spare bedroom. She smiled up at her.

"Hey. What're you up to?" She asked.

Adriana shrugged, walking into the kitchen. She returned a moment later with a can of sprite in her hands. "Studying. Homework. Usual stuff. You?"

Aria lifted her book. "Reading ahead. But can I ask you something?"

Adriana nodded. She walked over to the chair across from the couch and sat down. "What's up?"

"What do you think of Hanna, Emily, and Spencer?"

Adriana raised her eyebrows, surprised at the question. "Individually? Umm… Hanna? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I know she acts all scatterbrained, and 'blond', but I'm convinced there's something in there. Emily seems very driven. And Spencer…well she's one-of-a-kind. Why do you ask?"

"Well Spencer's been-"

"Jealous?" Adriana finished for her. By the look on Aria's face, she could tell she'd hit the nail on the head. "I'm not looking to take anyone's place. If there's anything I can do…"

Aria nodded. "I'm working on it. But in the meantime, I'm just trying to make more girl time so she doesn't feel so left out."

"That's good," Adriana said cheerfully. "It can be hard keeping things going with high school friends when you head off in different directions. You and your friends seem pretty close, and that's tough to find, so you should hold onto it."

Aria nodded again. She looked down at her book, and then looked back up at Adriana. "How're you and Hardy? Have you spoken to him since the other day at the apartment?"

Adriana sighed, dropping her gaze with Aria. "No. He's been upset with me since I told him we couldn't make it work."

Aria frowned. "Well…even if you don't see it as something permanent, why can't it keep working for the moment? What's wrong with having fun?"

"Because I'd let myself be convinced to do things I'm not ready for," Adriana said. "I'd end up marrying him and then **I'd** be unhappy. He'll realize eventually that this is the right thing or us."

Aria nodded slowly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped when the door opened across the apartment and Ezra walked in. His least favourite subject was Adriana and Hardy's problems. She smiled at him as he came into the room and walked over to her. He leaned down and kissed her before walking into the bedroom and settling his things at his desk.

"I need to go talk to Ezra about something," she murmured before moving off the couch. She walked over to the bedroom and closed the door behind her before she walked over to the bed and settled her book on the nightstand. Ezra looked up at her as he pulled a clean t-shirt from the dresser and tossed it onto the bed. He began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

Aria shook her head. "No. You can continue changing."

Ezra nodded, though he wasn't convinced. He quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and his t-shirt before he got up onto the bed and sat down next to Aria. He pulled her closer, draping her legs over his as he wrapped an arm around her. "What's on your mind?"

She exhaled a long breath. "I had a scare this week."

"How so?" He asked.

"I thought for a moment that I might be pregnant," she said nervously. "I'm not, but I was late by a day. And it just… It scared me. I mean we're all squared away with my emancipation now, but that's not how I want things to go right now, and we haven't really discussed kids or anything like that."

Ezra nodded, swallowing a nervous gulp. "That's for sure. I've always just gone with the idea that we obviously weren't ready, and that the subject would come up when we **were **ready to talk about it, a few years from now. Why didn't you tell me about this when it happened?"

Aria shrugged, shaking her head. "I didn't want to cause a fuss over something that ended up being nothing. I figured if it didn't come after three days, I'd say something." Her diaphragm spasmed like she might laugh, but tears filled her eyes. "I know it's stupid, but I **really** was praying that this would happen. I can't imagine trying to have a baby right now. But I was so afraid to tell you. I was **so **afraid you'd be mad at me."

Ezra shook his head, pulling her down closer to him. He cradled her in his arms and kissed her temple. "I would **never **be mad at you. It takes two to create a baby, and we should probably be more cautious about it. I'm happy to have a baby with you when the time is right."

Aria looked up at him, giving a small smile when he wiped away her tears. "Really?"

He nodded, kissing her chastely on the lips. "Really. But in the meantime, there's no excuse to find a reason for a condom shortage or anything of the sort. You deserve to graduate from high school and go off to college without anything else being a nuisance in your life. Is this why you were upset today?"

Aria shrugged. "A little. It was that, and Spencer, and the sentencing."

Ezra nodded. "Speaking of the sentencing, I went to see her."

Aria looked up at him, raising her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Really," he replied. "I told her she'd never see me again. I swear to you Aria, she's not going to receive another single second of our time. She doesn't deserve it, and any time spent worrying about her would be wasted breath. There's no point in trying to understand why she did what she did because it was selfish, and you are anything but."

She curled up against his chest, wrapping her arms around his back. "All I know, is I've heard about crazy ex-girlfriends, but this took it to a whole new level. Oh, and if I ever come home to a rabbit cooking on the stove, I'm calling the cops."

Ezra laughed, shaking his head at her. "I promise if that ever happens, the cops will already be on their way. I have no wish to make Fatal Attraction my reality." They laid there for a moment in the quiet before he spoke again. "How's my sister and her marriage woes?"

Aria giggled. "Hopelessly in love and too chicken to admit it. They'll work it out soon. I'm so sure of it now."

"Great," Ezra teased. "Maybe then we'll finally get to christen the spare bedroom and every other part of the house."

Aria punched him lightly in the ribs.

"Hey!" He laughed. Aria tilted her head up to look at him.

"Not so funny. We just barely dodged a bullet." She said.

Ezra raised an eyebrow at her and wiggled it. "That doesn't mean there isn't a full stock of condoms in the nightstand."

Aria dropped back against the pillows, laughing. "You're insatiable."

"And this is news to you!" He laughed. "We've had this discussion."

She smiled, trying to contain her laughter as she looked up at him. "Well for now you're just going to have to contain yourself."


	8. On The Way Down

**A/N: **Ironically, after asking a friend and getting her opinion, I really expected that people wouldn't be fond of giving Hardy and Adriana their own scenes, but you guys really seemed to like it. As it is, Aria and Ezra are **always **going to dominate this story, but Adriana and Hardy may continue to have their own subtle moments here and there. This chapter has one for them, because there's just no other way the scene would've come across right if I wrote it any other way.

_Chapter 8_

_I Took A Dive And On The Way Down_

Aria stared at her dress hanging on the back of the door, pulling on Ezra's arm from where it was draped around her waist. It was a black and white dress that fell midway to her thigh. It was strapless with the bust white, while the skirt was black. An inch of jewels ran under the bust all the way around the dress.

"Would you stop doing that?" She giggled. "You're going to leave a hickey on my neck."

Ezra sighed, loosening his grip around her waist. "What's so wrong with that?"

Aria spun around and glared up at him. "My dress is black and white. Anything with too much color is going to stick out."

Ezra rolled his eyes, walking over to the bed. He leaned down and grabbed his shoes off the floor. "Just as well. I've got to run over to Hollis and then convince Hardy to go to this thing."

Aria turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "You got some mastermind idea that's going to get your sister to speak with him?"

Ezra shrugged. "No. I'm hoping that spending some time together in a decorated warehouse dressed up like a couple of penguins will make everything fix itself."

Aria giggled, shaking her head. "I'm going to the salon with Spencer, Hanna, Emily and Adriana, and then Adriana and I are getting our nails done. Am I going to see you before tonight?"

"Probably not," Ezra murmured. "But we'll make up for it later. Try not to enjoy girls day too much." He teased.

Aria wrinkled her nose at him, smiling as she leaned down to kiss him. Ezra kissed her back and then pulled the laces on his shoes and tied them. "I won't."

_-  
>I freeze and break, deadweight, gotta let it go<br>__Thought I had it figured out back in high school  
>-<em>

Aria turned her coffee cup in her hands as she sat down in the salon chair next to Spencer, who was in the process of having her hair done up into an intricate bun. She looked over at the magazine that Spencer was flipping through.

"Angelina's anorexic _again_," Aria said sardonically. "I swear they say that every other week."

Spencer chuckled, looking up at Aria. "Whatever. The woman either needs to get help or deny the rumours once and for all. I don't think the magazines parading it around either way is funny _or_healthy."

"Tell me about it," Aria murmured. She looked across the page at a photo of another actress. "I think I want to cut my hair."

Spencer raised her eyebrows as she looked over at Aria. "Seriously? I thought you were just getting it done up."

Aria shrugged, looking over at her. "I changed my mind."

The hairdresser walked up behind Aria. "Alright, Ms. Montgomery. Do you know what you want?"

Aria nodded, reaching over and grabbing the magazine out of Spencer's hands. She pointed to a photo of an actress on a red carpet. "Can you do this and then style it with curls?"

The hairdresser looked over the photo for a few moments and then nodded before handing the magazine back. "Absolutely. Let me get some shears." She patted Aria's shoulders and then walked away.

"So do you want to get lunch tomorrow?" Aria asked Spencer. "Or do you already have plans?"

Spencer shook her head, putting her magazine in her bag. "No, we can do lunch. Qdoba?"

Aria raised an eyebrow at Spencer. "What's with the Mexican food obsession lately? Is Melissa on another kick?"

Spencer shrugged. "Not really. I mean she's still eating everything in sight but I swear she's turned into some superhuman trailblazer with caffeine as her fuel. Even when Taylor's asleep she's running around in circles. Burritos are just easy to eat on the go."

Aria laughed. "Mmm. I swear I've been living on Chinese food for weeks. Ezra and I need to learn to cook more than three things."

Adriana was brought over to the seat next to Aria. "I can make my mom's lasagna, homemade pizza with hand tossed crust and any kind of pie you want."

Aria giggled, turning to look at Adriana. "Now if only I could function on French silk pie."

Adriana gaped at her. "Oh yum. Chocolate heaven!"

The hairdresser returned and Aria's turned towards the mirror in front of her as she parted Aria's hair correctly and then began to snip off dead ends. Conversation seemed to wither as they each had their hair done. Adriana and Spencer both finished before Aria and headed back to the waiting area where they chatted with Hanna and Emily. Aria and Hanna were the only ones who had decided to keep their hair down. Hanna's hair was tousled and wavy, while Aria's was cut to her shoulders and curled.

Adriana handed her a fresh cup of coffee as they walked out of the salon. "Ezra is going to lose his marbles when he sees you all dressed up tonight."

Aria blushed, smiling as she took a sip from her coffee. Regardless of the fact that she had been with Ezra for more than a year, she was easily embarrassed by the fact that he was so attracted to her. She was only seventeen, and there were plenty of other women out in the world. Sometimes even just seeing his face when she managed to steal a glance at him floored her. The look in his eyes was often one she knew in the most private moments she only shared with herself. Like the mixer she'd attended with him a few days earlier. He'd been chatting with several of his coworkers, and they had been in a heated discussion about a short story he was looking at getting published. It had made its way through a few of the professors who had given him positive reviews, and though Ezra hadn't yet let her read it, he had gotten so excited when people started asking about it. His entire essence and reaction made her happy that she got to call him her boyfriend. More than that though, it stirred something inside of her.

There had been a time when she saw sex as so arbitrary. She would see people older than her, and wonder how they stayed so in love and still wanted to be that intimate with each other as they aged, but after she and Ezra had made the decision to sleep together, and even more so when that attraction was still there in the days that followed, she came to understand it more. There was something about being in love with someone that was, as Ezra put it, insatiable. The feelings were unwavering, regardless of the situation, and there was no chance that they were suddenly going to run out at some point.

Aria said her goodbyes to Spencer, Hanna, and Emily and then headed down the small strip to the nail salon. They checked in for their appointments and then walked over to the rack of polishes. Aria picked out a silver glittery shade while Adriana picked out a dark red color that matched the dress she was going to be wearing.

"So have you been to any Rosewood events before?" Aria asked as she shook her bottle of nail polish in one hand.

Adriana chuckled. "You know, I really haven't. I guess I never really got involved enough in anything outside of Hollis. I've been to a few soirees on the upper east side in New York City though."

Aria shook her head and buried her face in her cup of coffee as she giggled. Adriana gaped at her.

"What!"

Aria dared a glance up at her. "I've seen _Gossip Girl_!"

Adriana opened her mouth to say something and then closed it, and after a moment, she laughed to. "Okay, so they weren't **all **ragers. And _**I**_ never did anything that stupid."

Aria narrowed her eyes at Adriana. "What about Ezra?"

Adriana threw an arm over her mouth, given that both hands were full, and struggled to keep from spitting out the drink of coffee she'd just taken. Once she was able to swallow it, she looked back at Aria, shaking her head. "Ezra was such an English nerd in high school. And he wasn't really up for parties." Her spoke the last sentence more seriously.

"Why?" Aria asked.

"When he was fifteen, one of his friends got alcohol poisoning after drinking too much at a party," Adriana explained. "The cops were called, there was a whole thing, and a lot of fighting in school. Long story short, he got thrown into a fight with like ten other guys and ended up with eight stitches in his lip."

"Damn," Aria murmured.

"He wasn't really up to parties after that," Adriana explained.

"Ladies?"

They were called over to separate seats, though the tables were right next to each other. Both girls decided to have their nails painted, but skipped over the option for acrylics. Roughly an hour later, they both walked out of the building and headed towards Adriana's car. Aria settled in the passenger seat and twirled a strand of hair on her left index finger as she pulled her seatbelt on.

Adriana started the car and pulled out of the parking space.

"What's your dress look like?" Aria asked as she settled her coffee cup in one of the holders.

Adriana turned her head to look into oncoming traffic as she pulled out of the large parking lot. "It's a really dark red and really sparkly. Very close-fitting. What about yours? I haven't seen it yet." Adriana replied.

Aria giggled, shaking her head. "It's _really _short. You'll see it when we get changed."

Adriana looked over at her for a moment, extremely curious, before she turned her attention back to the road. Aria pulled her cell phone from the pocket of the blue jeans she was wearing and brought up her text messages. She clicked on Ezra's name and began to type.

_**Convince Hardy to come to the gala? **_

She sent the message and then settled her phone between her legs and turned her attention out the window. The car ride was comfortably silent, and Aria kept her attention on other things until her phone buzzed where it rested between her thighs a moment later. She picked it up and brought up the message reply.

_**Yep. Here's to hoping he can get through to her finally. **_

They arrived at the house a few minutes later and they both headed into the house. Set on the option to get some studying done, Aria headed to her and Ezra's bedroom and pulled her history textbook from her bag. She flipped through it and read up on the chapter they'd been studying for the past few days in school. After she'd read through it twice and double-checked her homework, she pushed up from the bed and walked out into sitting room.

She crossed the room into kitchenette and walked over to the fridge. She went through the process of making a fresh pot of coffee and then grabbed a chocolate biscotti from a tin and munched on it as she waited for the percolator to push the coffee through.

After about five minutes, it finally finished. She grabbed a cup and filled it and then added creamer and sugar before heading back into the sitting room. She stopped about mid-way back to the bedroom at the sound of music coming from Adriana's room. The door was open and she could see her seated at the desk.

She watched as Adriana pushed the keys on the synthesizer in front of her. She'd never seen one before, but she knew that Adriana was quite the musician.

Adriana looked up at her and forced a small smile, standing up. "Hey. I was just screwing around. Getting my head out of my books, yknow?"

Aria nodded. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was going to ask if you wanted coffee...I ju- I didn't know you did played. I mean I knew you liked music and-" She shook her head, realizing she was talking in circles and Adriana knew what she meant.

Adriana nodded, looking back down at the synthesizer. "I've neglected it a bit in the last few months, being with Hardy. But I scribble a bit in my spare time. Ezra always thought I was weird because I liked playing keytars, but I like them because they're different, you know? Anyone can play a guitar these days."

Aria looked down into her coffee cup, giggling softly at Adriana's comment.

"Oh gosh, I didn't mean it like that," Adriana squealed, smacking herself in the forehead. "It's just..."

"Different," Aria said, validating her comment. She took a step into the room, looking down at the tiny instrument. "So what were you working on?"

Adriana shrugged, pushing a few keys on it. "Just a bit of something. It's really stupid. I'm not quite sure where it's going just yet."

"I doubt it's stupid. Can I hear?" Aria asked.

Adriana stared at her nervously for a moment and then nodded. She started to push keys on the instrument, and then began to sing a few moments later.

_"One foot on the ledge,  
><em>_And I'm feeling for safety  
><em>_Somewhere between sure  
><em>_And I don't know, maybe_

_I'm off on my rope here,  
><em>_I'm off on my own here  
><em>_I find my hope here  
><em>_I find my own here  
><em>_I'm off on my rope here,  
><em>_Where the fence is low_

_Each shadow I walk  
><em>_To the ends of the forest  
><em>_And the shape of the hands  
><em>_That break the grounds for us_

_The fear that contains  
><em>_That binds like a blessing  
><em>_I've been here before,  
><em>_Then again I'm guessing..."_

Adriana's smile seemed to widen as she played the song, and the sound of her voice was soothing to Aria. The shared a smile as Adriana stopped playing and wrung her hands together.

"Sounds like it's something that resonates with you," Aria finally said.

Adriana nodded. She sunk down into the chair in front of the desk a moment later, frowning. "Am I entirely stupid and wrong for saying no? I mean I'm not crazy for feeling like it's too soon, right?"

Aria took a sip of her coffee. "I'd be lying if I said that if Ezra had asked me to marry him after six months and I said yes without hesitating. I mean I love him, and I know there's not a single guy out there that's going to be any better for me, but I would definitely have been scared by the commitment. That's asking someone to take a major leap of faith."

"Exactly!" Adriana said. "It's not that I don't love him. I'm just not sure that getting married right now is the best thing for us. I want to be sure I'm making the right decision, and not just jumping because it's the option that looks the best at that moment."

Aria smiled sympathetically. "Do you know the song Me and My Jealousy?"

Adriana shook her head. Aria started singing an ascending series of notes. A few moments later, Adriana began to play them on her synthesizer. Aria began to sing the lyrics.

_"you said,  
><em>_there really isn't much to say  
><em>_but we'll be better off this way  
><em>_so tell me, is it better while you're lying in bed  
><em>_I wonder if you ever think of me instead..."_

Adriana frowned, moving her keys off the instrument.

"I'm not saying you're wrong," Aria murmured. "All I know is that if I lost Ezra because of fear of commitment on my part, I don't think I'd ever get over it. It's hard to face an unknown future, but I'd bet anything it's even harder to lose the one you'd always planned."

_-  
>Nothing left to me; just me and my jealousy<br>-_

Aria slipped her coat off and handed it over to the coat taker before she was ambushed by Hanna.

"Aria Montgomery, I you are going to blow the _socks_ off that fiancé of yours!" Hanna squealed.

Aria rolled her eyes, though she chuckled. "Ezra and I aren't engaged, Han. But I do have every intention of blowing his mind tonight."

Hanna faked a gag. She'd grown more accustomed to Aria and Ezra's relationship over the past few months, though she still often liked to poke meaningless fun at them. "Has he seen you yet?"

Aria shook her head, looking around through the crowd. She spotted Spencer in a floor-length green evening gown and Emily in a black dress with sunlight yellow trimming along the neckline and hem. They were on the dance floor on the floor below talking with Paige and Toby. Adriana was a few feet away talking with someone at the bar that she seemed pretty familiar with, but it wasn't Ezra.

"Where's Caleb?" Aria asked, turning her attention back to Hanna.

"Long weekend,' Hanna frowned. "He's in California. Lucas said he'd come with me. He's…" she looked around the crowd of people at the large double doors. "Coming in right now." She hugged Aria and then walked off towards Lucas.

"Ms. Montgomery."

She looked up with a half-smirk at Hardy. "Mr. Danielson. What's up?"

"Ezra dragged me to this black tie affair." He muttered less than enthusiastically. "Seems to think that tonight is the night his sister is going to remember she loves me."

"Yeah, she's pretty pissed at me," Aria murmured. "Hasn't said anything to me since earlier today. She's lookin' pretty hot, though." She's got her hair braided to the base of her neck and in a low ponytail. Oh, and she's in a real sparkly red dress. She's-" Her brow-line grew flat as she looked down at where Adriana had just been. The lights on the dance floor were moving too fast for her to spot her. "Well she **was **just over at the bar. Good luck."

Hardy shrugged and then waved to her before heading off towards the stairs. There were five steps down to the balcony, and then another twenty down to the dance floor. Aria browsed through the crowd a bit more and then finally spotted Ezra at the base of the steps on the ground floor talking with a teacher from Sheridan Prep.

She headed down the steps onto the balcony, and then made her way down to the dance floor. It took a few moments to spot him again, but she was grateful to the fact that she'd decided to wear 3 inch heels. He was about ten feet away at the bar, talking to someone else.

She waited until the girl that was attempting to chat him up to walk up behind him. She slipped her hands up the back of his jacket and around his body and rested her hands over his abs. "Oh, Mr. Fitz, I think I need detention."

Though he couldn't see her, she could feel his stomach moving with laughter. "Did you cheat on your homework, Ms. Montgomery?"

Aria choked down a giggle and shook her head, resting her forehead between his shoulder blades. "Oh yes, and I stole a pack of erasers from your desk."

"Oh, well Mrs. Montgomery, I'm afraid that's going to require more than one detention to solve."

She finally loosened her arms around him as she let her mirth escape. She looked up at Ezra, and his agape expression made her giggle that much more. She turned to the side and popped one of her feet up, resting her hands on her hips in a mockingly sexy pose. "Do I look hot, Mr. Fitz?"

Ezra wrapped his arms around her and brushed his nose up against hers before turning his head so that his mouth was next to her ear. "You look more than hot. How long do we have to stay at this thing?"

"Long enough," she giggled, leaning into him.

"Aria! Fitz!"

Aria looked over Ezra's shoulder and spotted Spencer holding a camera. She turned Ezra ninety degrees and gave a bright smile, wrapping her arm up around his shoulder and resting her chin on it. Ezra wrapped his arm around her waist and they both smiled. Spencer snapped several photos before walking over to them.

"Where's Adriana? We were gonna take a picture with everyone." Spencer asked.

"Everyone as in?" Aria narrowed her eyes, confused.

"You, me, Emily, Hanna, Ezra, Toby, Adriana, Hardy, and Lucas, Mona and Jason too." Spencer said.

Aria frowned for a moment. "Can we do it later? I don't know where Adriana and Hardy are, and wherever the **are** hiding out, they're probably arguing."

"But you still think they're going to get back together?" Spencer asked, looking between Aria and Ezra.

"Oh god, I hope so," Ezra said. "One step away from the kiss that's going to change everything."

"That only happens on TV," Spencer said dismissively. "No one **ever **has a kiss like that anymore."

Aria and Ezra dared a glance at each other and then looked back at Spencer.

"See!" Spencer said. "You two are something right out of a damn TV show!" She heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Okay. You four better be over by the photo stage at 11 or you're not getting in the picture."

She walked away with Toby and Aria turned back to look at Ezra. "Wanna dance?"

He led her into the crowd and then wrapped his arms around her waist. Aria slipped her arms around his neck as Taylor Swift's Sparks Fly started to pulse through the speakers. It was loud enough that they could feel the base beating in their chests.

"You realize this is the first time we've danced together?" Ezra asked her.

Aria smiled up at him. "So it is. Good first song."

She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and leaned into him as his arms closed around her back and they swayed to the music.

Across the dance floor, Adriana cursed silently as her heel caught in someone's dress. She pulled it free without ripping the girl's dress, and scowled as she stumbled into someone else.

"Sorry-" She looked up, and her scowl only deepened further as she realized it was Hardy. "Hi."

"Hi yourself," he replied. Sparks Fly finished playing and All-American Girl kicked in a moment later. "Can I have this dance?"

Adriana shook her head, moving to step past him. "Don't do it, Hardy."

He caught her arm, and she turned to look back at him.

"If you're really going to do this, you can give me five minutes of your time." He told her.

Adriana sighed heavily, but turned to face him anyway. She reluctantly slipped her arms around his neck.

"When did this stop being us?" He asked her, referring to the song. "You used to talk about how this was exactly you wanted."

Adriana dropped her hands off his shoulders and huffed. "Hardy-"

"I'm serious, Adriana!" He argued. Still, the music was so loud that no one else could really hear them. "We were happy! And you say that we had no chance of lasting, but I don't think you really believe that. I don't think you really got involved in this just to have it end a few months later."

"Why does it matter?" She argued back. "I'd be willing to bet everything I own that you've already been with other girls since we broke up!"

The angry look on Hardy's face fell away and was quickly replaced with one of anguish as his hands dropped from her hips. "That's really what you think?"

Adriana sniffled and reached up quickly to wipe away a tear before it could fall from her eye. "Just face it. We're not right for each other, and nothing we ever do is going to change that."

Hardy shook his head at her, but he didn't know what else he could say to her. He turned and walked off into the crowd, leaving her staring down at the floor. When she finally looked up a few seconds later, she couldn't find him in the throng of people.

She began moving through the crowd again, keeping her arms tightly crossed over her body as she moved past people.

"Adriana!" Her name seemed to echo behind her, but it took Ezra and Aria repeating it a few times before she finally turned around and spotted them a few feet away. They walked over to her and Ezra hugged her as she burst into tears.

"What happened?" Aria asked, genuinely concerned.

"What happened is you need to stay out of everything!" Adriana yelled at her. The comment caught Aria so far off guard that she took a step back. It was as if the words had actually cut into Aria.

"What'd he say?" Ezra asked, rubbing his hands up and down Adriana's biceps soothingly.

"That he's been with other girls since we broke up," Adriana whimpered as she reached up to wipe the tears off her face.

Ezra furrowed his brow, looking down at her. "Did he actually **say **that?"

"He didn't say that he **didn't** do that!" Adriana cried.

"_All I know is that I should,  
><em>_Cause she will love more than I could  
><em>_She who dares to stand  
><em>_Where I stood…"_

Aria looked through the crowd and spotted Hardy up at the bar. He was being pawwed on by some girl that barely looked eighteen. It only took a moment for Adriana and Ezra to follow her line of sight, but by then it was too late. The girl was kissing him, and from their perspectives, it looked a lot more than that.

Adriana gaped at them, and Ezra released his hands around her arms, intent on killing Hardy. All previous promises were out the window at that sight.

Aria looked at Adriana for a moment, but quickly walked after Ezra. Her heel caught on someone else's dress and her ankle twisted, delaying her for a moment as she pulled it free. Her ankle wasn't sprained, but it still caused her to limp for a few moments. Even so, by the time she caught up to Ezra, he'd already punched his best friend.

"What the hell!" Hardy yelled as he stood back up. "What the fuck did you do that for!"

"How dare you **EVER **tell me that you loved my sister and wanted to marry her!" Ezra yelled.

"I didn't do anything!" Hardy screamed back. "She-"

"To hell with that!" Ezra growled.

Aria grabbed his arm and spun him around, forcing him to look at her. "He didn't kiss her! She forced herself on him!"

Hardy looked down at her and then glared back up at Ezra, who was slack-jawed as he realized what he'd just done. He couldn't think of the right words to apologize, but Hardy shook his head anyway, not wanting to hear the excuses. He walked away and headed out of the building.

"Aria-"

"No!" She yelled, looking back up at Ezra. "That wasn't fair! He didn't do anything, and Adriana's somehow made **us **_**all **_the bad guy in this! She's got to get her head on straight, Ezra!" She paused for a moment, feeling tears starting to burn in her own eyes. "And she's got to do it somewhere else."

She turned and headed out of the building, shivering as she walked out into the cold October air. She lifted her arm and looked down at the thin gold watch she was wearing; It was just past ten PM. The music followed her out of the warehouse, continuing to play.

"_Don't get me wrong,  
><em>_I hope she's really the one  
><em>_And if it's love you know  
><em>_I wish you the best…"_

She walked down the dirt path. The ground was cold and barren of any grass or vegetation of any kind, but as she came around the side of the building, she spotted Hardy pressing a napkin against his lip. She walked up to him.

"Hey."

He looked up at her and nodded, pulling the napkin away from his lip. It wasn't bleeding bad enough for stitches, but Ezra had clearly hit him well enough to hurt.

"You okay?" She asked.

Hardy shrugged, folding the napkin and pressing it up to his lip again. The bleeding seemed to be slowing. "It's whatever."

"Ezra didn't know," she said. "And Adriana…"

"Needs to stop stringing me along and decide what the hell she wants," Hardy said. "I know she's one of your best friends, but…"

Aria shook her head. "No, I agree. I told Ezra she needs to figure out what she wants and she needs to do it somewhere else."

"I love her," Hardy said, looking up at her. "I really do. Which is why I don't understand why she's being like this."

Aria shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't know." She shivered again and looked around. Most the people attending the gala were inside, but there a few attendees outside with their dates taking a break to smoke or just to get out of the heat.

Hardy shrugged off his jacket as he tucked the used napkin into his pants and then rested his jacket across Aria's shoulders. She smiled up at him, slipping her arms into the sleeves, instantly feeling a bit warmer.

They stood out there a bit longer, making small talk before Aria managed to coax him into going back inside. She had no intention of finding Ezra or Adriana for a while, either.

Once they were inside she led him to the dance floor and they danced amicably, chatting about their mutual love of crime dramas. Aria had that she and Hardy actually had things in common in the past few weeks, and she didn't mind his company either. He was a little bit like the older brother she'd never had, and a lot like the guy friends she kept in her company, like Toby and Caleb.

They danced to two songs before Hollis' new psychology teacher walked up to them and asked if she could cut in. She was about the same height as Aria with deep brown as and full lips, and seemed slightly attracted to Hardy. Aria politely stepped away from Hardy and headed over towards the bar, singing along with Give Me Fire softly as it played throughout the building.

"_Give me fire, give me fire  
><em>_Coming out, it's coming out…."_

She ordered herself a kiddie cocktail and then took several large gulps, drinking down most of the cup before she headed over towards the DJ where Hanna and Lucas were sitting and talking.

"Hey!" Hanna squealed, hugging as she walked up. "Where's Fitzy?"

Aria shrugged, shaking her head as she chuckled. "Not sure. Probably talking with his sister. Why aren't you two dancing?"

"Quick break," Lucas replied. "Hanna's leg was hurting."

Hanna nodded, massaging her knee as she swung her legs back and forth from where she was sitting on an amp. "We're gonna go back out there, though. Can I have a sip?"

Aria passed over her cup to Hanna and then took it back a moment later. She spotted Emily about ten feet away, talking and laughing with Toby and Paige, and waved to them.

"Aria?"

She looked up as Adriana walked up to her. She took another sip from her cocktail.

"I'm sorry," Adriana said, just barely over the sound of the music. "I wasn't fair to you, or Hardy. Or really Ezra either, for that matter."

Aria shrugged, tipping her glass back and swallowing the last of the drink. She took the cherry out that had been laid over the ice at the top and ate it before tossing the stem back in the cup and tossing it into a nearby trash. "You've gotta make a choice before you lose everything."

She walked away and headed up towards the DJ. He looked up at her briefly before turning his attention back to his station.

"You got a request, put it on the sheet," he told her.

"Will you play whatever I want next if I give you twenty bucks?" She asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she pulled a bill out from where she'd safety-pinned it inside the hem of the bottom of the dress on the outside of her right thigh. She handed it over to him. He looked at the bill for a moment and then back at her before nodding.

Aria walked off the stage a few moments later and scanned the crowd. Ezra was halfway across the room, presumably looking for her. She looked back at Adriana and spotted her sitting on the same amp Hanna had been on a few minutes earlier.

The tinkling sound of descending scales on a piano began to play a moment later and she walked over to her.

"_I think about holding you  
><em>_There's nothing much that I can do  
><em>_The seconds and the minutes  
><em>_The minutes and the hours…"_

Adriana looked up at her as Aria came to stand next to her.

"He was never with anyone else," Aria said to her. "And if he's really worth that much to you, you won't let him get away."

"_Jealous of the hand that you hold  
><em>_The city in the winter never seemed this cold  
><em>_Nothing left to me, just me and my jealousy  
><em>_Just me and my jealousy_

_You said there really isn't much to say  
><em>_But we'll be better off this way  
><em>_So tell me, is it better while you're lying in bed  
><em>_I wonder if you ever think of me instead…"_

Adriana looked up at Aria and then across the room. The woman Hardy had been dancing with had just stepped away. She looked back at Aria once more and then pushed her way into the crowd.

Aria walked over to the other end of the stage a few feet away and walked up the first two steps so that she could see everyone. Spencer walked up to her a moment later.

"What're you doing?"

Aria grabbed her arm and yanked her up onto the stairs, pointing over to Hardy. "Don't tell me this kind of crap only happens on film. You're gonna want to get a picture of this."

Spencer watched with Aria as Adriana pushed past couples. She adjusted the lens on the camera, and Ezra came up onto the steps behind Aria just as Adriana reached Hardy. The bright light of the camera flashing put stars in Aria's eyes as Hardy wrapped his arms around Adriana and kissed her back.

"I'm not even going to ask how you did it," Ezra said.

"_And I'm jealous of the way he says your name_

_I should've held you tighter but I let you walk away…" _

Aria looked up at him as he slipped his arms around her waist. "It's a gift. And I'm pretty sure we just got our wish."

Ezra nodded, kissing her temple. "I'm sorry," he said into her ear. "I was wrong."

Aria turned around and slipped her arms under his, leaning back just slightly. "Yeah. But I'm not the one you need to apologize to. And, I'm pretty sure it can hold off until tomorrow morning."

Ezra smiled and leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. Aria opened her lips, and his tongue sipped inside her mouth.

Light flashed on them, and Aria laughed, turning to look at Spencer from where she stood a few feet away on the floor.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this actually went well," Spencer said gleefully a moment later when Aria and Ezra came down off the steps.

"Why don't you go get everyone else, and I'll get Hardy and Adriana and we'll all take that picture," Aria offered.

Spencer nodded, and then headed off towards Emily, Paige, and Toby.

Aria pulled Ezra through the crowd, and then stopped about two feet away from Hardy and Adriana as he finally put her down.

"I was wrong," she cried as he reached up to wipe her tears away. "You're not who you were, and we're not my parents. I was scared and I was stupid, and I-"

Hardy shook his head, smiling as he looked up at her, into her eyes. "You're not stupid. No woman I love could ever be stupid." He kissed her temple and then hugged. She hugged him back, fisting his jacket in her hands.

Aria finally walked up to them and Hardy and Adriana released each other. "Spencer wants to get a picture of our group."

"Okay?" Adriana said.

Aria rolled her eyes and smiled, slipping her arm around under Adriana's. "That **includes **you two. It's done a lot of growing in the last few months. C'mon!"

She pulled them all through the crowd to the far right side of the building. It was two floors directly under the coat room, about thirty feet from the door. Spencer had gathered the rest of the group. Aria and Emily squealed as they finally got to greet each other for the night and hugged. They pushed her towards the middle and it dawned on her as Adriana stood on her left and Spencer on her right with Ezra behind her, that she'd become the linchpin of the group. At one point and time, that had been Alison, but things had changed a lot in just two years.

"Okay, For Caleb on three," she called out. "Because he couldn't be with us tonight."

The photographer counted down and Aria wrapped her arms tightly around Spencer and Adriana as she leaned into Ezra's arms around her waist, and grabbed Hanna and Emily's hands on either side of Spencer and Adriana. A moment later, they all yelled 'for Caleb!' and the camera flashed, snapping the photo and making the moment a permanent memory for all of them.

They all stuck around and all of the girls squeezed together in a photo with Aria yet again in the middle. Emily and Spencer were to her left while Adriana, Hanna and Mona were to her right. She had individual photos of taken of herself with Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Adriana as well, and then several couples photos. By the time they finished taking photos it was almost 11:30.

_-  
>Love is not some fucking movie<br>-_

Aria yawned, sinking down onto the couch and pulling her feet up next to her as she held a cup of cocoa in her hands. She had changed into a pair of black sweat pants and had them rolled up to her knees, and she was wearing one of Ezra's t-shirts.

"So what could've been a really bad night didn't suck so bad," Spencer surmised.

Aria shrugged, looking back at Ezra as she rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Adriana had gone home with Hardy, but Spencer, Emily, and Hanna had all followed them back to the apartment. Even though Aria no longer lived at home, they weren't quite ready to give up the tradition of spending the night together after a dance.

They all had also changed into casual clothing and had on sweats, except for Ezra, who was dressed in pajama pants and a t-shirt.

"Considering I punched my best friend in the face and my sister all but told my girlfriend that she hated her, yes, the night went really well." He said.

"Oh, aww! Caleb's brothers went as Green Lantern and Flash for Halloween!" Hanna squealed. The other three girls looked at her, confused. She showed them the photo on her phone, but the confusion didn't waver.

"Hanna, you were **such** a geek," Aria giggled as she took a drink from her cocoa.

"Hey, at least no one got hurt or drunk after at this dance." She replied.

Aria laughed, shaking her head. "How can you say that! Hardy got punched, and I'm pretty sure that Jenna was slurring. I can't believe she got her sight back just so she could go out and get drunk."

"Hey," Ezra scolded lightly.

"Not that I'm judging," she added quickly. She buried her face in her cup of cocoa.

They all sat and talked for a while longer before Aria was too tired to stay to even keep her eyes open. Ezra carried her into the bedroom and then grabbed extra pillows and blankets for Hanna, Emily, and Spencer and then walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

Aria groaned as her eyes fluttered and she looked up at Ezra. _"Timeisit?" _

"Almost one," he whispered as he slipped under the blankets. "Hanna and Emily were already half-asleep, and Spencer was yawning every two minutes. Go back to sleep."

Aria sighed and curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder and her hand over his scar where she always did.

_-  
>Jenny, turn around, don't you leave what we've got now<br>-_

Aria rubbed her eyes with her free hand as she picked up a piece of her quesadilla and took a bite.

"I'm going home after we're done here and crawling into bed," Spencer whined. "**So**exhausted."

Aria nodded, chewing and swallowing her quesadilla before she picked up her cup of cola and took a long sip from it. "It took three cups of coffee to drag myself out of bed this morning. Thank God Ezra thought to go get some when he got up."

Spencer laughed. "Yeah. How **did**he know what my favourite latte flavour was?"

Aria shrugged, taking another bite of her quesadilla. "I told him?"

Spencer smiled, stabbing her fork into the taco salad she'd ordered. "He's pretty great. Before you two moved in together, I never really thought about domestication with a boy."

"And now?" Aria asked. "You and Toby?"

Spencer shrugged. "I love him, and he loves me, but I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, or next week, or next month. He's getting his GED in a few weeks, and he's got a job in Brookhaven now, so who knows what could happen. I doubt he's going to want to pick up and move New Jersey or Connecticut in six months, and I can't wait to get out of here."

Aria smiled. "I'm so excited to move to New York."

"Did you put in your application yet?" Spencer asked.

Aria shook her head. "I'm gonna do it in the next few weeks and then look at what I can get for scholarships so that I'm not drowning in student loans five years from now." She sighed, twirling her straw in her cup. "I know its conceited, but I always thought that I'd graduate and then my parents would pay my way through college."

Spencer laughed. "I don't think that's conceited. We live in Rosewood. Ninety-nine percent of the people who live here are well-off. Hell, every kid in the Martin family went to an Ivy League."

"Do you think their parents would sponsor me?" Aria joked. "I don't want much. Just to major in English at NYU and not have to spend the next ten years climbing out of debt."

"Just take a breath and don't worry about it right now," Spencer said. "I'm sure you'll find a way to manage."

Aria laughed. "Do you know that Ezra and Adriana got full rides through college? She got a partial scholarship and Serena paid for the rest. Ezra got a full ride and was one of the top five students in his graduating class. My boyfriend and future sister-in-law are wealthier than most people I know."

"So?" Spencer said.

"So, Ezra is going to get this bright idea in his head for me to let him pay for it all and 'not worry about any of it' because he still thinks it's his fault that my parents disowned me."

"You'll manage," Spencer replied. "I'm sure you'll find some way to figure it out."

Aria sighed, and nodded in resignation. She didn't want to think about it.

Spencer's phone buzzed on the table and she picked it up. She scowled a moment later and looked back up at Aria. "I've gotta go. Melissa's out of town, and my mom just got called into work, so there's no one to watch Taylor."

Aria nodded, smiling ruefully. "It's okay. We'll figure out something."

"Do you want to meet up later?" Spencer asked.

Aria opened her mouth to reply, but her own phone began to buzz on the table. She picked it up and read the text.

_**Dinner tonight with Hardy & Dre? **_

_**-Ezra **_

She shrugged giving sad half-smile. "Sorry. Hardy and Adriana want to have dinner. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Babysitting," Spencer said. "Tuesday?"

"I work all week," Aria replied. Both girls frowned and sighed.

"We'll find a way to work something in," Spencer said. "Life is changing, whether we want it to or not."

"Well life lose its teeth and eat a brick for breakfast," Aria whined. She stood up and hugged Spencer. "I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

Spencer nodded. "Absolutely."

She grabbed her drink off the table and then walked out of the grill, leaving Aria standing there alone.

Aria leaned down and folded up the wrapper holding her quesadilla and then placed it inside the paper bag the quesadilla had been put in before grabbing her drink off the table. She grabbed her phone and tucked it into the pocket of her sweater before grabbing her food bag and walking out of the building to her car.

She unlocked the passenger side and settled her food bag on the seat and then stood back up and shut the door. As she did, she spotted her mother across the street. It took a moment before she realized Ella was walking out of a divorce lawyer's office.

Yes, life certainly **was **changing, and it wasn't waiting for anyone to catch up with it.


	9. If It's Love You Know I Wish You

**A/N: **I'd be lying if I said that the premier didn't make me want to split Ella and Byron up. But let's face it. I don't like Byron. I have… _complicated_ opinions of Chad Lowe… And I'm just going to leave it at that. But I will say this: **REGARDLESS **of what happens with Ella and Aria, **she will stay with Ezra at their apartment. **

_Chapter 9_

_If It's Love You Know I Wish You The Best_

Aria rubbed her eyes as she pulled her hair out of the ponytail she'd put it up into before she'd left the apartment earlier that morning. She'd been distracted ever since getting back home the afternoon before, and hadn't been able to focus on much of anything. She had been lucky enough to manage to get through putting her makeup on without screwing it up, but by then, she'd been so stressed out, that she'd grabbed the first pair of jeans and shirt she could reach in the closet, which left her in a pair of dark blue hip-hugging blue jeans and one of Ezra's dress shirts. She hadn't worn his clothes as much in the past few months, but with as flighty as she was feeling, his scent on her seemed to help ground her at least slightly.

He was aware that she was unfocused, but since she wasn't saying anything, he didn't know how to help. Instead, he'd kissed her goodbye and told her he loved her when they were heading out of the apartment that morning with the hope that whatever was affecting her would come to surface soon.

She huffed and grabbed her hairbrush from her locker and quickly swiped it through her hair before pulling her hair back up and then grabbed her bag from the floor and slammed her locker before walking down the hall to her mother's classroom. Ella was just walking into the class room as she came up to the doorway. She walked over to her desk and settled her things on the seat. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before looking up at her mother.

"Are you and Dad getting divorced?" She asked bluntly.

Ella looked up at her, surprised at the sudden question. She stared at Aria for a long moment and then finally answered. "Yes."

Aria's shoulders slumped, and tears filled her eyes. The overwhelming emotion crashed down harder on her than she expected it to. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Aria, you divorced your family. We didn't think you would **care** to know," Ella said gently.

Aria gulped. Her bottom lip trembled as several tears fell down her face. "So what? It wasn't without good reason. And what I did doesn't change the fact that you didn't tell me!"

Ella took a deep breath and walked over to Aria. She placed both her hands on Aria's arms. "Look, the truth is, I was going to try and find a way to tell you sometime this week. Your father and I... well, we've struggled ever since we got back together last year. And I won't lie to you and tell you that your and Ezra's confession of your relationship didn't hurt us, because it did, but there were more problems there than that. They were problems that we never really worked through. When I came home, we always said we would find a way to work through our problems, but that never really happened.

All in all, the truth of it is, is that we neglected our relationship, and because of that, it suffered. Your father and I still love each other, but we're not IN love with each other, and we haven't been for a long time."

"But this is all my fault," Aria cried. "Everything that's happened-"

"No," Ella shook her head, reaching up to wipe a tear off of Aria's face. "You couldn't have known this would happen. It's just life, sweetie."

"Well life sucks," Aria cried.

Ella hugged her quickly. "Look, just because your father and I are getting divorced doesn't mean we love you any less. We're doing everything we can to make this as harmless as possible for both Mike **AND** you. And the fact of the matter is, your father and I have very differing opinions on your relationship with Ezra."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aria asked.

Ella shook her head. "Not here. We'll talk after school. Coffee at Paradigm?"

Aria exhaled a long breath and then nodded. The frown on her face that she'd worn for most of the past twenty-four hours didn't waver though as she sunk down into her desk. She grabbed her books from her bag and settled them on the top of the desk and then grabbed her journal from her bag as well and flipped to a fresh page. She uncapped a pen and tapped the end of it against her lips, unable to come up with the words that felt like she could turn into a journal entry.

She placed the ball point of her pen on the top of the page and scribbled _where was I? _at the top and then stared at it a few moments longer before she began to write, struck by inspiration.

She scribbled incessantly until the bell rang, and Ella called for them all to focus on class. Even so, Aria's attention was still distracted, which Ella seemed to notice. They were given a reading assignment and then told to write a one page essay on it's theme to be turned in the next day. Aria read the story, but then shoved her textbook aside and grabbed her journal once more from her bag and turned back to the page she was on.

Eventually, the bell rang, and she headed off to the media center with Hanna. Her focus was less than exemplary, and her head was too far away, thinking about her parents, to give much attention to her friends. She knew that they could tell that she was distracted, but she really didn't know what to say to change that.

Her classes passed by her with her doing the minimum amount of work required to get by. It wasn't her typical way of dealing with things, but she couldn't find the focus to give any more attention. At lunch, she walked through the quad and then grabbed a sandwich a few minutes before the bell and took it with her to World History, though she barely touched it.

Her last few classes passed, but by the time the bell rang for the end of the day, she all but ran from the room. She made a mad dash for her locker and grabbed the things she needed and then walked out of the building, passing all of her friends along the way and not saying a thing.

Her phone buzzed repeatedly with messages as she pulled out of the school parking lot and headed towards Paradigm. Still, she left it where it was. In her head, she didn't have the time to deal with answering other peoples questions. Her parents choice to get divorced was pulling her apart at the seams, and she didn't know what to do.

She arrived at Paradigm a few minutes later and grabbed her bag before walking into the café. She ordered herself a iced latte and then headed over to a booth. The place was relatively empty; most people weren't in as much of a rush as she was.

She sat down in the empty booth and stared at the wall for a good twenty minutes before she resoled to the fact that her mother probably had a few things she had to do before she left work. She sighed and walked over to the small stage at the front of the café and picked up one of the guitars. She sat down on a stool and began to strum it lightly, trying to be quiet so that she didn't disturb anyone.

As she played, the place began to slowly fill up. The few times she looked up, she spotted Hanna and Caleb, and then Spencer and Toby with Taylor, and Emily and Paige. Still, she stayed on the stool until she finally saw Ella walk through the door, and then walked back over to the booth she'd left her things in. Her iced latte still sat there on the table, untouched.

Ella walked over to the booth after ordering herself a drink and sat down across from Aria. She smiled sympathetically at her. "Aria-"

"What'd you mean when you said you had different opinions?" Aria asked. She didn't see the point in small talk.

"Aria, don't let this keep you from other things. This was a long time coming," Ella coaxed gently.

Aria sighed, turning the clear cup her iced latte was in, in the small puddle that had formed under her cup from the beads of water dripping down off of it. "I'm fine."

Ella shook her head. "You're not. I've been your mother for seventeen years. I **know**when you're letting something distract you too much."

Aria looked up at her, still frowning. "Just please tell me what you meant?"

Ella folded her hands in front of her and smiled ruefully at Aria. "Losing you the first time earlier this year was a hard hit for us. The way your father reacted was wrong, and honestly Aria, I just wanted you to be safe. I didn't want you **OR **Ezra to get hurt. It took me a long time to get past the fact that he wasn't the child predator I wanted to make him out to be in my head. As sad as it is, it took **losing** you for good to realize that.

"For a while now, I've wanted to reach out and change things. I knew that we all needed healing time from your choice to emancipate yourself, but at the same time, I had felt this was a long time coming. I could see it earlier in the summer when your father would suggest something or plans would suddenly change, but I didn't know how to approach it. And I don't think what he did was fair, but I won't sit here and say I'm not at least partially at fault either.

"Either way..." She sighed, shaking her head. She reached out and grabbed Aria's hands in her own. "Your father is still not ready to accept what is. But I can't do this anymore. It took a lot of soul-searching, and that soul-searching probably drove a deeper wedge between your father and I, but what Ezra's mother said to me really stuck to me finally. I don't have another daughter. You and Mike are all I have, and that means EVERYTHING. I want to work on our relationship and see if we can't...become something new. I don't think we can ever get back who we used to be, but maybe that's a good thing."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Aria asked. She bit hard on her bottom lip, trying not to cry even as tears were starting to fill her eyes.

Ella nodded. "I am. And your father is, too. Aria, please don't think this is your fault."

Aria looked down at the table. "How is it not? You moved back home after I told you that you loved dad or you didn't last year. And, I was the one who kept everything about Meredith from you-"

Ella squeezed Aria's hands tightly in her own. "**Aria**. You can't change what your father has or hasn't done. And if it wasn't this, it would've been something else. We haven't been okay in a **long**time. That doesn't make it your fault. Okay?"

Aria was reluctant to believe her mother, but she could see it in Ella's eyes that she didn't want her to be upset about this. She forced a tentative smile onto her face, swallowing hard in an attempt to get the knot of out of her throat. Ella's smile grew a bit wider and she released Aria's hands, patting them gently.

"I love you, mom," Aria said when she was sure she wasn't going to fall apart. "And I'm sorry about all of this."

Ella smiled. "I love you too, baby girl."

Aria was finally able to smile without feeling like she was forcing it. The door opened across the room and she looked up in time to see Ezra walking into the building. She raised her hand, ready to wave him over, but she spotted Byron a few feet behind him. It didn't look as if they were talking or that they had even come together, but the guilt she'd felt was turning into anger towards her father.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Aria said, looking back at Ella. Ella nodded, watching as she pushed out of the booth and walked back over to the stage where one of the baristas was just getting all the equipment turned on.

Aria asked him if she could go first, and then waited for him to finish getting everything set up before she sat down on the same stool she'd been on a little while earlier. She adjusted the microphone and then strummed the guitar a few times.

She didn't have to look up to know that everyone's eyes were on her. It was a little nerve wracking, but she kept her attention on the guitar in her lap as she began to sing.

"_where was I when you  
><em>_figured all those little doubts  
><em>_were just too much to conquer_

_where was I in that moment  
><em>_when the curtain fell and you knew  
><em>_that it was over_

_was I smiling like a fool  
><em>_over morning coffee  
><em>_did you know it was a lie  
><em>_when you said you loved me…" _

She finally looked up. Ezra was leaning up against the counter, having just ordered himself a coffee. Her eyes quickly drifted over about five feet to where her father was standing, leaning against the counter in front of the cashier. He was watching intently. Good. She wanted all of his attention.

"_I could've been two wheels up  
><em>_I could've been heart healed strong  
><em>_this could've been my last tear  
><em>_you could've been so long gone  
><em>_I wouldn't be lost like this  
><em>_I wouldn't be breaking down  
><em>_I would've been over you by now_

_what's it like to hold all the cards  
><em>_to pull all the strings  
><em>_and convince me that I'm dancing_

_maybe you don't know  
><em>_what love really is cause baby  
><em>_if you did you wouldn't let it go so easy  
><em>_instead of wasting all that time…" _

She looked back down at the guitar, making sure her inflection was spot-on so that she didn't start crying. It hurt her to have to say the things she was saying, but they had been a long time coming, and she couldn't hold them in anymore, either.

"_I could've been two wheels up  
><em>_I could've been heart healed strong  
><em>_this could've been my last tear  
><em>_you could've been so long gone  
><em>_I wouldn't be lost like this  
><em>_I wouldn't be breaking down  
><em>_I would've been over you by now_

_I could've met someone new  
><em>_I could've been over you  
><em>_  
>I could've been two wheels up<br>__I could've been heart healed strong  
><em>_this could've been my last tear  
><em>_you could've been so long gone  
><em>_I wouldn't be lost like this  
><em>_I wouldn't be breaking down  
><em>_I would've been over you by now…" _

When she was finished, she placed the guitar back on its holder and then walked off the stage and back over to the table where her mother was seated, still waiting for her. She had only just sat back down when Ezra walked over and sat down beside her.

"Did I miss something?" He asked. "Are we breaking up because of Saturday night?"

Aria shook her head, furrowing her brow in confusion as she looked up at him. "No. Why would you think that?"

Ezra raised his eyebrows and looked over at the empty stage and then back at Aria. "That sounded a lot like a break up song."

"Ezra, it's not you."

He looked back at Ella, surprised that she was speaking to him. "Byron and I are getting divorced. Aria's gotten it in her head that its because of you two."

Ezra nodded very slowly, pressing his lips together for a moment as he turned his coffee on the table. "Are you?"

"No," Ella said. "As I tried to tell Aria, something else would've driven us apart. We've brushed a lot of things under the rug that we needed to face, and we never did. We both feel that this is the right choice to make. Nothing she did or **didn't** do would've changed this outcome. It was always going to happen. I think Byron and I have both known that for a long time."

_-  
>My head is pounding; too much red wine<br>__I wish I didn't love it like I do; it gets to me every time  
>-<em>

Aria stuffed her textbooks into her school bag, having just finished her homework for the night. Hanna sat across from her, tapping away at her phone in a texting war with Mona. After she'd left Paradigm with Ezra, she hadn't felt much better, so she'd called the one friend she had who had been through a divorce.

"Aria, you can't think this is your fault," Hanna said, looking up at her. "Regardless of the circumstances. I mean were your parents really **that **happy when you were living at home with them?"

Aria shrugged, looking up at Hanna. She hadn't actually fallen apart and started sobbing, but every now and then a stray tear would make its way into one of her eyes and threaten to fall before she quickly swiped it away. "I thought they were. I thought my parents would actually make it after they got back together."

Hanna scooted her chair closer to Aria and wrapped her arm around her. "Are you sure you didn't just get to a point where the arguing was so _normal_ that you stopped caring?"

Aria shrugged again.

"It's going to get better," Hanna said. "I promise you're not always going to feel this way. And hey, at least you don't have to listen to them argue every day or deal with the separation of things."

Aria laughed sadly, reaching up to wipe another tear away before it fell. "Do you think parents ever really love each other? Or are we all just doomed to eventually fall out of love?"

Hanna smiled ruefully at her, rubbing her hand up and down Aria's upper arm. "I think people **choose **to fall out of love, because it's easier than suffering. I think you get tired of wishing someone would come back and decide to love you, so you start getting angry, and eventually the anger outweighs the sorrow, and then it just all fades away." She looked over at Aria. "And just incase its what you're thinking, **you and Ezra are NOT your parents. **Remember everything you told Adriana."

Aria laughed again. "I don't think we're them. I just can't help but wonder if my parents weren't as in love as we were at some point, and if they were…when did that change?"

Hanna shrugged, resting her head against Aria's. "Who knows."

They sat there for a few minutes before Hanna's phone began to rattle so incessantly on the table from missed text messages that Aria grabbed the phone and tossed it lightly at Hanna to make the noise stop.

"Sorry!" Hanna giggled, bringing up the messages. "It's Mona. She's begging me to have a horror movie night with her. She wants to have pizza, too."

Aria shrugged and rolled her eyes, smiling at Hanna. "So do it. I'm just gonna shower and then curl up with some cotton candy ice cream and watch the Criminal Minds marathon until Ezra gets home, or I fall asleep. Whatever happens first."

"Where is he anyway?" Hanna asked.

Aria moved off her chair and pushed it into the table, grabbing her glass of water and taking a drink from it. "Helping Adriana move all her stuff back in with Hardy, and then he called after they got over there because they wanted to move some of the furniture around and asked for his help."

Hanna nodded. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Aria nodded, hugging Hanna before handing her bag and pushing her gently towards the hallway to the door. "Go! Have fun! Have a piece of pizza for me!"

"Only if you have a cup of that ice cream for me," Hanna laughed as she walked to the door. Aria nodded and followed her to the door. She watched until Hanna had gotten into her car and pulled out of the parking stall next to Aria's car and drove away before closing the door.

Aria walked back into the sitting room and over to the kitchen. She grabbed the ice cream from the freezer and put several scoops into a coffee mug before placing a spoon inside and then putting the ice cream carton back into the freezer. She grabbed her phone and water from the table as she walked back through the apartment, and then walked into the bedroom and turned the light on before shutting the door.

She walked over to her side of the bed and placed her things down on the nightstand before grabbing the remote for the TV and turning it on. She walked back over to the door and reached over and shut the light off before walking over to the bed again. She crawled onto it and grabbed her laptop from the floor. She opened it up and then flipped through the TV channels as she reached over on the nightstand and grabbed her phone and settled it next to her, and then reached back and grabbed her ice cream. She found the marathon she'd been telling Hanna about and dropped the remote beside her before pulling her laptop up into her lap. She brought up her home screen and smiled. The picture on her background was one of the photos from Saturday night. It was a goof photo with all the girls making joke faces.

She clicked on her browser and then opened up her SocialPage. The pictures from Saturday night covered all of the posts. Everyone had changed their pictures to ones taken at the event. Aria and her friends were no exception. She had changed her picture to the first one Spencer had taken of she and Ezra at the beginning of the night.

She looked through the photos that had been posted and saved the ones of herself with her friends that she didn't already have and then closed her laptop and placed back on the floor. She ate her ice cream quietly, watching the TV with little enthusiasm. When she finished the ice cream, she placed the mug back on the nightstand and turned the TV off before curling up under her blankets. She opened the iTunes application on her phone and searched through similar music to what she'd been listening to recently.

She clicked on one song and plugged her headphones into the jack at the bottom and pushed the small blue play button.

"_they say you remember the past  
><em>_better than it really was  
><em>_but there was a time when it really was  
><em>_so good…" _

Aria gulped as tears welled in her eyes, and bit down hard on her bottom lip until the skin finally split and a coppery taste began to fill her mouth. She pulled her pillow tightly against her chest in the dark silence and finally let out the emotions she'd been bottling up all day. After the song finished downloading to her phone, she set it on repeat and curled her body around her pillow, burying her face in the top of it as tears ran down her face.

Emancipated or not, angry or not, she didn't have the ability within herself to hate her parents. She still loved them, which was why it hurt so much to know that they were splitting up. And regardless of what her mother had said to her, or anyone else at that matter, it didn't change that she felt like it was her fault that her parents had split up. She knew they loved her, and she loved them, but she also felt that if she had done what they wanted and stopped seeing Ezra seven months earlier when they had told her to, then they would still be together.

She cried until she was too exhausted to do anything more than just lie there and occasionally hiccup, staring at the wall. Her pillow was wet from her tears, and the song had to have played at least ten times, but she still let it continue.

At some point after that, Ezra returned home and came into the room. He didn't say anything as he removed his jeans and his dress shirt and crawled under the blankets beside her. He turned towards her and gently pulled the one of the earphones out of her left ear and settled it on the pillow.

"Do you want to talk?" He asked her softly, rubbing his hand comfortingly up and down her side.

Aria shook her head.

Ezra sighed quietly and pressed his lips against her temple. "Aria, you **can't **blame yourself for this. There's no way you could've known, and even if you had…There's no way you could've prevented it."

She shook her head and buried her face in her pillow as a fresh wave of sorrow washed over her, bringing with it more tears.

Ezra exhaled a frustrated breath. It killed him to see her so upset, and he wasn't sure what he could do to fix it.

He moved off the bed and walked out of the room, leaving her lying there alone for a few moments. Angry, Aria yanked the other earphone out of her right ear and turned off her iPhone. She hastily plugged it in and settled it on the nightstand.

Ezra walked back into the room wearing a t-shirt and carrying a box of tissues. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her again.

He pulled a fresh tissue from the box he'd gone to get and began to wipe Aria's face off as best he could to remove the makeup that was making trails down her face. She was stiff and unrelenting in her emotions as he did so, though she took a tissue to blow her nose when he offered it.

When Ezra was sure he'd gotten enough of the makeup off so she wouldn't have black trails on her face in the morning, he settled the Kleenex box further down on the bed and then wrapped his arms around her and laid back down. Somewhere in the midst of her emotions, Aria let down her guard she'd up to him the night before and fisted his t-shirt in her hand as she cried into his chest. Ezra rubbed his hand up and down her back, refraining from saying anything so that he didn't upset her further.

Eventually, her crying quelled again, and her ragged breaths evened out until she was asleep. He hated knowing that she was so badly hurt by her parents divorce. More than that, he knew that she felt at least partially responsible for it, and he hated it. He didn't know what it was like to hurt over parents splitting up, because he'd been happy when his mother had finally divorced his father.

Eventually, he gave into the fact that there wasn't really anything he could do other than try to be there for her. He hoped that when morning came, she would feel better about the situation see that her parents choice to split up wasn't her fault. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before moving the tissue box between them to the night stand. Aria turned against him so that her back was facing him. He spooned against her and wrapped his arm up under hers, slipping his hand between the two of hers. She laced her fingers between his, murmuring half-asleep, 'love you.'

Ezra smiled just in the slightest and kissed the back of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "Love you too, baby."


	10. Every Time I Look Inside Your Eyes

**A/N: **So, I was working on an IM scene for the end of the chapter, and it phased me what a few of my friends said when I originally posted chapter 3 of 40 Days. At the time, I hadn't heard of 50 Shades Of Gray. Aria's screen name came from the fact that her parents saw her relationship very much so in black and white, and she viewed the world in many shades of grey. As it is, the book series will have no affect on this story at all.

_Chapter 10_

_Every Time I Look Inside Your Eyes_

Aria wrote in the last few sentences of her English homework and looked up at the clock. Christmas was coming in less than two months, but the boutique had been rather empty for the past few days. She'd resorted to writing her homework behind the desk after the third day, when the racks of clothing couldn't be organized anymore. Her afternoons got even more boring when her homework was finished, and there was no one coming in to shop.

She stuffed her books into her bag behind the counter and then grabbed her bag by its straps and lifted it up. "Cara, I'm going."

She walked over to the office in the back and punched her timecard before waving to the manager and heading out of store with Cara following closely behind her. She was a freshman at Hollis and spent most of her time running around like a chicken with her head cut off, but with the lack of shoppers recently, things had changed somewhat.

Aria walked through the mall and headed towards the parking garage as she zipped her jacket. Rosewood was supposed to be getting a major snowstorm and the last thing she wanted was to be trapped in the mall.

Once she was in the garage, she pulled her phone from her bag and brought up her messages. There were the typical ones from her friends, asking if she wanted to meet up to study, and a few more that followed those, dismissing the option because of the storm.

She walked over to her car and tossed her things in the passenger seat before starting the car and pulling out of her parking space and making her way out of the garage, onto the road. The snow was already coming down and had created a blanket over the city. Her phone buzzed on the dashboard, though she ignored it until she reached a red light.

She picked it up and checked the missed call before calling back, leaving the phone on speaker as she waited behind the row of cars in front of her.

Ezra answered momentarily. _"You out of work yet?" _

"Yeah," she said louder than usual. "You?"

_"I'm by Hardy and Dre. There was a crash a block away from the apartment, and they're not letting anyone through." _

Aria sighed. "Alright. I'll be there in a minute. Cars are moving."

"_Drive safe!" _The line went dead a moment later, and Aria moved the phone onto the seat next to her before resuming driving. She switched lanes on the next road and then took several turns that, three blocks later, put her in front of Hardy and Adriana's apartment building.

She grabbed her bag out of the passenger seat and then walked around her car and grabbed her emergency bag from the trunk before pulling the trunk shut. She pulled her hat down harder on her head and ran as fast as she could through the parking lot of the complex, slipping and sliding here and there from black ice on the ground.

She finally managed to make her way into the building, shaking and wet from the snow and took the elevator up to the third floor loft. She pounded her fist on the door until Hardy pulled the door open.

"She's here," he called over his shoulder as he pulled the door open further. Aria stepped past him and dropped her bags on the floor before removing her jacket, hat, and gloves.

"It's **freezing** out there!" Aria squealed as she kicked off her boots.

Adriana came down the stairs carrying a stack of clothing. "I've got sweats," she offered. "And Ezra ran down the street to get coffee and cocoa."

"What's going on with classes tomorrow?" Aria asked.

"Rosewood is shutting down if this continues after midnight," Hardy said, settling his phone on the counter. "We're pretty much stuck here until this stops. We're under a blizzard warning as it is."

"Until when?" Aria asked.

"Thursday," he replied.

Aria sighed, and turned around. She took the sweats from Adriana and then walked across the room to the bathroom and shut the door behind her after turning the light on. She shimmied out of her wet jeans and then pulled on the Hollis sweatpants that Adriana had given her. She zipped up her sweatshirt and then shook the snow off her pants into the bathtub before folding them up. She walked out of the bathroom and Adriana took the pants from her and headed upstairs to the laundry room.

Aria walked over to the counter and sat down on one of the stools as Hardy settled a cup of cappuccino down for her. Aria smiled up at him and took a drink from it.

"How's life as a domesticated couple again?" She asked, settling her mug back on the counter.

Hardy shrugged. "It's alright."

Aria glared at him, gulping down a large sip of her cappuccino. "Just _alright_? You spent weeks telling me how depressed you were that she didn't want to be with you!"

Hardy chuckled, shaking his head. "Okay, so it's more than alright. She just…I don't know."

"You **do** know," she said. "What?"

"She wants a ring," he said.

Aria furrowed her brow, shaking her head. "What's wrong with that? I mean didn't you two split up because you wanted to give her a ring?"

Hardy nodded, rolling his eyes. "Semantics. I just…I want to be sure she's not going to leave again, and, if we make it that far, I want to propose how I originally intended."

"There's no way you're **not **going to make it to Christmas together. Because I swear to God if you two split up again, I'm going to lose my mind." Aria said. "I can't do the melodramatic drama again."

Hardy laughed. "Alright then. We'll get engaged, married, and move out of Rosewood just for you."

Aria feigned a shocked, hurt expression. "You'd take my future not-yet-existing nieces and nephews out of my life before I even meet them?"

She and Hardy both laughed as Adriana came walking back down the steps. The door opened a moment later, and Ezra walked in carrying a plastic bag. He dropped it on the counter and then went through the process of removing his coat, hat, and mittens as quickly as possible.

"You can't see two feet in front of you out there," he growled as he pulled his gloves off and kicked his own boots off. He leaned over and kissed Aria and then sat down on the stool next to her. Hardy took the bag and pulled out the contents before placing them in the correct cupboards and in the fridge.

"How was work?" He asked, taking a cup of coffee when Adriana placed one in front of him.

"Boring," Aria replied. "It was dead, like it has been the last few days." She smiled sarcastically at him. "How's my father?"

Ezra shook his head, sighing. "He's…your father."

Aria grabbed her cup of cappuccino and stood. She crossed the room until she was standing in front of the balcony doors and watched as the snow pounded down onto the ground. While she wasn't crying over it anymore, her parents divorce still hadn't settled well with her, even though her anger had become more focused on her father. She'd been cautiously taking steps forward in repairing her relationship with her mother, though things weren't perfect by any means. Still, she hated her father for not being willing to accept what was.

"Hey."

She looked up at Ezra as he placed his hand on the base of her back. She forced a half-smile onto her face. "Hey."

"You know things aren't going to always be like this," he said.

Aria shrugged, taking a drink of her cappuccino. "I **don't** know that. He might not _ever_ change his opinion of you, or of us. I can't try and fix things with him and just be okay with it all, when he would've been happiest with this ending. My father would've loved for our rift this summer to have turned into something bigger. For us to have broken up, and for me to have said that it was a childish mistake a few years from now."

Ezra turned to face her. "Aria, I-"

She looked up at him. "It sucks. My parents liked you when they knew who you were, aside from who you spent your evenings with. Why did that suddenly have to change because we love each other?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know why your father would rather hate me than accept the reality in front of him and deal with it. But why do you have to be the one that suffers because of it? He's chosen his reality. Let him suffer over it."

"My entire family fell apart because he couldn't accept our relationship," Aria said.

"No," Ezra disagreed. "You heard your mother. They had unresolved issues that they pushed aside instead of dealing with. And I think we both know from personal experience the kind of effects ignoring a problem can have."

"Yeah, but-"

Ezra settled his cup on a table a few feet away. "But, nothing. Your parents made their choice. I'd rather it didn't affect our own."

Aria huffed and pathetically attempted a smile. Ezra chuckled and shook his head before kissing her. She kissed him back, wrapping her free arm around his neck.

_-  
>Out of all of the places in this little town<br>__Yeah, you had to come walking in here and sit down  
>-<em>

Aria twirled a strand of her hair between the thumb, middle, and index fingers of both her hands as she stared out the window. The snow was still coming down in an unrelenting argument with the weather, and she and Ezra were sleeping in front of the fireplace. Hardy and Adriana had long since gone to bed, but she was awake. The last snow storm Rosewood had been faced with, she'd been late leaving Ezra's house after falling asleep watching a movie, and had been forced to lie to her parents about where she was. They had been under the assumption that she was asleep at Spencer's, but she had instead spent the night with Ezra. It had only been a few days later that she had told Jackie that she knew about her plagiarism.

"Do you think Adriana and Hardy will really get married?" She asked.

Ezra chuckled, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I think my sister will murder him if he ends their relationship after the past few months. He finally got what he wanted."

"I know," Aria replied. "But it's a long way from talking about marriage to actually making it down the aisle and saying 'I do'. You don't think either of them is capable of calling it off at the last minute?"

Ezra was quiet for a moment and then exhaled a long breath before moving his arm out from under her and turning over so that he was facing her. He rested his arms on either side of her. "I think that when people really want to make something work, they find a way, even when the odds are stacked against them. If two people love each other enough, they will overcome every obstacle in their way in order to be together. But I also think the opposite is true, and that if someone really doesn't want to be with another person, they will inevitably find a way to not **have **to be in that relationship. It's a selfish choice, but people find a way to do it every day."

Aria let go of her hair and placed her hands on either side of Ezra's face, running her thumb under his bottom lip. "So would you ever find a way to leave?"

Ezra rolled his eyes and shook his head, leaning up to kiss her between the eyes. "That question is so absurd, I'm not sure I'll ever hear one from you that will match it. But to answer your question, no. I would never find a way to leave you. Although, I'm thought my reaction to everything on our anniversary would've given that away."

Aria pushed her lips out in a pout. "I just want so badly to believe that there's a reason why only **some **people split up, and not everyone. That it's not random, and there actually **is **a point to it all."

"There is," Ezra replied, leaning down to kiss her. "But when you pout, you look like your mother."

Aria scowled at him and laughed. "I do not!"

"Do so," Ezra whispered huskily into her ear as his hands moved down her sides. Before she knew what he was doing, she began to squeal with laughter while his fingers attacked her hips. He stopped a few moments later, pressing his lips to hers. Aria looped her an arm around his neck while the other moved under his t-shirt. Ezra groaned into her mouth, grinding his hips against hers as his hand moved up her t-shirt.

Aria stopped a few moments later, and Ezra trailed kisses down the side of her neck. "Got a bit of a problem," she said with a slight chuckle.

Ezra sighed, resting his head against the floor. "You're a serious drug problem for me."

"I don't mind," Aria giggled. "There's no reason we can't remind those two what we're made of."

Ezra pounded his head lightly against the floor. "Why is sex always about payback with them when the four of us are under the same roof?"

Aria turned her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you saying no?"

Ezra shook his head, slipping his tongue between her slightly parted lips and pushing up onto his palms as Aria pulled his shirt further up his body. She moved her hands over his chest and rested them on his shoulders as he moved one of right hand down to her left leg as she looped it around his hip. He pulled up from her long enough to remove his t-shirt and then pulled Aria's over her head before he leaned back down and lifted her up as he leaned back on his knees. Aria wrapped her other leg around his waist, grinding her hips harder against his. Ezra moaned, settling her back on the pillows below them and moving his hands down to her sweatpants. He curled his fingers inside the hem of the pants and eased them down off her hips, pulling her panties down as well. Aria pulled her legs up and Ezra pulled them off of her and tossed them aside. Aria pushed his own sweatpants off his hips along with his boxers. He kicked them off as Aria pushed him over and straddled his hips.

She began to ease down onto him and then her eyes suddenly widened as a floorboard creaked above them. Ezra chucked at her expression and rolled them over again so that she was once again under him before tugging the blanket up over them. He kissed her, but when she didn't kiss him back, he trailed kisses down the side of her neck.

"We're gonna get caught," Aria murmured, and then moaned as he thrust slowly into her.

"Not. If you're. Quiet," he replied between wet kisses on her collarbone.

The floor creaked again above them, and Aria dug her nails into his back as he adjusted his angle just slightly, and hit her g-spot. Ezra pulled on her hair as he bit her bottom lip. Aria lifted her hips and met his thrusts, scraping her nails down his back. His thrusts became more frantic and Aria bit down on his shoulder to keep from making any noise as the creaking of floorboards continued. She dug her nails in deeply enough to break skin as she reached her orgasm. A few seconds later, Ezra pulled out of her completely, and ejaculated onto the base of her stomach.

Aria raised an eyebrow at him as he reached for a box of tissues on the coffee table a foot away.

"No condoms," he explained. "Which goes entirely against the conversation we had a few weeks ago, but I didn't anticipate this when I left home this morning. _Or_ when I was stocking up on emergency supplies earlier."

"Could've gone other places," Aria said with an entirely serious look on her face.

Ezra's eyes widened at her suggestion and she laughed. He grabbed his t-shirt off the floor and tossed it at her, but she continued to laugh at him as she pulled it over her head and then pulled her panties and sweatpants back on while Ezra pulled his own clothes back on.

He slipped back under the blankets next to her and yanked her against him, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm going to get you back for that."

"I'm shaking in my thing one, thing two socks," she giggled.

"_Pretty sure your brother and best friend just had sex on our floor," _Hardy's voice traveled down the steps. His tone of voice gave away the fact that he wanted to be heard.

Aria buried her head in Ezra's chest as her face flushed.

"Twice," Ezra yelled back.

Aria looked up at him and glared. "Liar!" She scolded in the loudest whisper softly.

Ezra pushed his forehead against hers. "Not when I'm finished with you. I told you I'm going to get you back for that comment."

_-  
>There's a place I know about where the dirt road runs out<br>__We can try out the four wheel drive  
>-<em>

Aria scowled at the glaring light that shone through the windows the next morning. It was only seven AM, and with no school or work to be running off to, she was less than pleased about being awake. She rolled over under the weight of Ezra's arm wrapped around her and huffed when she saw him still fast asleep.

"Figures," she murmured.

"I'm awake," he replied, opening his eyes. "Damn light doesn't go away, regardless of which way you turn."

"Can we go home today?" She asked.

Ezra shook his head. "I checked the news a while ago. They're not cleaning the streets until the snow stops, and everyone's under advisory to stay inside. If you get stuck, its on you to figure out how to get home or get help."

Aria sighed, pouting at him. She pushed up from the floor, stretching her limbs before she walked to the bathroom. She flipped the light switch on and used the facilities before turning on the faucet. She waited a few moments for the water to heat up, but it stayed cold. Frustrated, she quickly swiped her hands under them and then shook them off and turned the faucet off. She reached out to shut the light off, but it went off before she could. She flipped the switch several times, but the room stayed dark.

"Ezra!"

The door opened a few seconds later, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Power's out," she replied. "I couldn't see anything."

Ezra looked over his shoulder at the fireplace. He'd put more wood in during the night, but it was going to be gone before midday.

Adriana popped her head around the swirled staircase, and it was clear that she'd just woken up. "Why the screaming? It's barely seven."

Ezra looked up at her. "Power's out. The heat-"

"That went out at 3 AM," she replied with a frustrated sigh.

Hardy came down the stairs behind her a moment later, and they both walked down onto the main floor. "Does everyone's phone have a full charge?"

Aria and Ezra both nodded. "Service is probably going to suck, though. Between the storm, and no power-"

Hardy pulled his phone free from the charger a few seconds later and slid the arrow across the screen before scrolling through his contacts. "I'm gonna go see if our downstairs neighbor knows anything. Her husband works for the fire department."

He walked out of the apartment, leaving Aria, Ezra, and Adriana standing in the loft alone. Adriana kept her eyes on the floor for a moment before she finally looked up at them. "Might as well clean up." She looked up at Aria. "I'll give you some clothes to wear."

"I'll…make some coffee," Aria murmured, walking into the kitchen. Ezra walked over to Adriana and leaned down to pick up the blankets off the floor.

"Is this _sanitary_?" She asked as she picked up another blanket.

Ezra glared at her and laughed, shaking his head. "**Yes**. Aria and I-"

Adriana waved her hand, chuckling softly. "I don't need to know anything. What you two do when you're alone together is your own business. I just…" She stopped, midway through rolling a blanket up. "You guys have _talked_about kids, right?"

Ezra nodded, tossing a folded blanket up onto the couch. "We're not even in the market to _think_ about kids right now. She's got really high test scores, so she's determined to get a scholarship along with financial aid."

"I thought her parents…?" Adriana's voice trailed off.

"Have money?" Ezra asked. "They do. Quite a bit, actually. But she doesn't want to rely on her parents for money. She wants to do it on her own."

Adriana looked up at Aria across the room, scooping coffee into a filter. "Far cry from our situation."

"Um, all expenses paid because our parents had the mind to invest their money when they got married, and old New York money? Yeah, I'd say it's a far cry too." Ezra replied, folding another blanket and tossing it up onto the couch. He and Adriana both stood and she grabbed the stack of blankets and walked away.

Ezra walked over to the counter and leaned against it. "Wasn't your test supposed to be this week?"

Aria shook her head, peeling a banana as she walked around the counter and sat down on one of the bar stools. "Nope. Next week, thank _God_. I'm- well, I'm worried, but I'm not, you know?"

Ezra nodded, peeling a piece off the top of her banana and popping it into his mouth. "Not afraid of failing, but afraid of how the scores could come out anyway. Thinking you really don't know as much as you do. Been there done that. But as Hardy and Adriana would tell you, I've got no place to complain. I scored a 2350."

Aria sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "Are you sure you're not with the wrong girl in the group? Spencer's-"

Ezra shook his head, cupping her face in his hands. "Spencer may be smart and pretty, but she's too uptight for my taste. I've always gotten the sense that she doesn't know how to let loose. Whereas you don't care about what people think or say."

Aria raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? Cause I've got scars on my back that say different."

Ezra laughed, rolling his eyes at her. "Alright, I'm surrendering to this before it turns into an argument."

Hardy stepped back into the loft and walked around the counter to the coffee percolator. He pulled the pot off the heating base and poured himself a cup before putting it back. "According to our neighbors, they're clearing people out and taking them to the high school, but it's almost full-up. They're trying to find room over at Sheridan Prep, but once Rosewood is full up, unless people can go somewhere else, they don't have another option but to wait."

Aria picked up her phone off the counter. "Let me make a few calls. If I know the Hastings, they'll have a full stock on firewood, and I'm sure they'll have room."

She moved off the stool she was sitting on and walked across the room until she was standing in front of the balcony doors. She clicked on Spencer's number and then lifted her phone to her ear. It rang several times, and then Spencer picked up.

"_Hey, did you guys lose power yet?" _

Aria chuckled softly. Of course Spencer would already know. "Yeah. Do you guys have room?"

"_Yeah. Hanna's here too. Has your mom lost power? My parents said-"  
><em>

"I"ll call her," Aria replied. "We're at Hardy and Adriana's apartment-"

"_So bring them with!" _Spencer was far too cheerful for seven AM. Aria had a feeling she was loaded up on caffeine. _"Be careful out there. There's black ice everywhere." _

_-  
>You can't turn back the hands of time<br>__Just let it go and you'll be fine  
>-<em>

Aria tugged a blanket around her and stared at her computer screen. She couldn't help but laugh. Every person under the age of twenty-five in the house was on their laptop, and they were all competing for maximum internet access. Boredom had come fast among all of them, and with homework already finished, nobody had anything to do other than sit around and wait.

Her cheeks seemed to become redder as messages continued to pop up in the group chat she was having with Hanna, Spencer, and Emily.

**HannaBee1: so what happened last night?  
><strong>**HastyHastings: they wouldn't hook up on hardy and adriana's floor…  
><strong>**SwimmingFields: Why not? If they were alone and they were asleep  
><strong>**HannaBee1: Ezra's be all "oh Aria"  
><strong>**HastyHastings: "Oh, Ezra! You're so hot!"**

Aria looked up at Spencer and glared at her, which only proceeded to cause her to fall into a fit of giggles. Hanna and Emily soon joined her, and Ezra looked over at her, confused.

"Whats…" His voice was soft, looking back and forth between the girls and Aria. He attempted a peak at her laptop screen, but she quickly docked the IM and smiled at him. The problem only worsened when Adriana began to laugh next to her after Hanna showed her the IM. Aria brought her screeen back up when her laptop chimed twice.

_**LadyFitz92 has joined the chat  
><strong>_**LadyFitz92: Not only can I confirm what happened, I can tell you everything she said.**

Aria glared at her and then placed her hands back on the keys and began to hurriedly type.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Say anything, and I'll start spilling ALL your secrets.  
><strong>**LadyFitz92: Booooo! Take all the fun out of things.  
><strong>**ShadesOfGreyxx: Tempt me, please. I'll share.  
><strong>**LadyFitz92: I'll tell you later.**

Aria stuck her tongue out at Adriana and pushed the lid down on her laptop and then turned her attention back to her screen.

"Are your friends teasing you?" Ezra asked in his own teasing manner.

Aria looked up at him. "Maybe."

Ezra looked around the room at the girls, who were each peaking over the top of their laptops every few moments at them. He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek before slipping his tongue into her mouth and kissing her. Aria raised a hand up and kissed him back, but they broke apart a few moments later. Aria chuckled at the look on her friends faces and turned back to her computer screen.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Gossip about that. **

She clicked on her browser and opened her up SocialPage. There were very few new posts, and the ones that **were** new were all talking about the snowstorm. Some of her friends from school had posted photos that she could only assume were taken at the high school.

The green envelope on the top of her status bar lit up. She clicked on it. When her message page popped up, she smiled. Ezra, though sitting next to her, had sent her a message.

_You are the light to my soul  
><em>_You are my purpose; you're everything_

_And how can I stand here with you  
><em>_And not be moved by you?_

Aria blushed, daring a glance up at him. She began to type a moment later.

_Sweet, but not my favourite. _

_Til you, I was nothing but lonely nights  
><em>_There was nothing but sad goodbyes  
><em>_For me to fall through  
><em>_Come true, my dreams are awakening  
><em>_Somebody is making me  
><em>_The only one in the room  
><em>_What nobody could do - nobody till you_

A new IM popped up and she couldn't help but laugh the minute she saw the words on the screen.

**StealingCinderella: You're seriously arguing over who can come up with the cheesiest song lyrics about who loves who more? SO WHIPPED.  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: Please envision those last two words with many underlines.**

Aria pulled herself together a few moments later and then began to type back to him.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: You say that like Love Like Crazy isn't Addy's ringtone on your phone.  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: So?  
><strong>**ShadesOfGreyxx: You will NEVER win this argument lol! I know too much about you now!  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: Who would've thought a year ago when we were standing in a bar talking about some girl in my dorm room that we'd end up here?  
><strong>**ShadesOfGreyxx: Do you want me to find someone to do the math? Lol  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: NO  
><strong>**ShadesOfGreyxx: Face it. We're tied into the Fitz family now. We're going to need each other to survive the next….forever.  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: Obviously! Do you know how hard it was get Ezra's head out of a textbook before he met you?  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: Granted, that still hasn't earned me any extra guy time… Hmm… You better make sure he doesn't plan my bachelor party as something at home with movies. There better be…well, it better not be boring.  
><strong>**ShadesOfGreyxx: Are you saying I'm a better friend? Lmao  
><strong>**StealingCinderella: Shhh. Don't tell Ezra. He'll get jealous.**

Aria chuckled, looking up at Hardy for a brief moment. They shared a knowing smile and then Aria looked back at her computer. She clicked on her SocialPage. A new notification popped up.

_Hardy Danielson has changed his default photo. _

She clicked on the small photo icon and smiled at the new photo. It was yet another photo from the Halloween gala, of him, Adriana, Ezra, and herself. She and Hardy were standing in the middle, and Ezra and Adriana were on either side of them. It only took a moment before someone commented on the timeline.

_**Mateo Carson: Now I know why I can't find any pretty ladies. You and Ezra keep snappin' 'em up!  
><strong>__**Valerie Bokan: Adriana needs to stop being so gorgeous! Aria too!**_

Aria clicked on the comment box and stared at it for a moment before she began to type.

_**Aria Montgomery: It's just makeup. You should see me in the morning with bed-head and sleep eyes. The allure goes away quickly. **_

Before she could click off the page another comment quickly popped up. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling.

_**Ezra Fitz: Liar. She lies. She always lies. You can't believe a word she says. She's absolutely beautiful at all hours. **_


	11. The Only Thing Left Keeping Me Company

_Chapter 11_

_The Only Thing Left Keeping Me Company_

Aria looked over at Ezra in the darkness of the room and smiled. He smiled back at her and then chuckled.

"Seriously, would you two stop giggling?" Spencer growled from across the room. "It really wasn't _that _funny."

Aria turned her head to look at Spencer on the other side of her. "So maybe you should've knocked first. It's not like we were naked."

"No," Spencer said. "Just shirtless." She stuck her tongue out at Aria.

"Are you saying you minded the abs?" Aria giggled as she rolled over and slipped her hand obnoxiously under Ezra's shirt. She stopped when her hand came to rest over the scar in the middle of his chest His well-defined muscles rippled under her hand as he exhaled a breath. Aria rested her head on Ezra's shoulder as she looked back at Spencer again. "Look, it was freezing outside. We were just trying to warm up. If everyone hadn't left him to move that branch, he wouldn't have gotten stuck, and-"

"Yeah, yeah," Spencer said, sticking her tongue out at Aria. "It was **freezing **out there."

"I **know**," Aria replied, feigning disgust. "I was out there."

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty," Hardy called from the other side of Ezra. "Now hush. I'm trying to figure out the blonde's clue to I Spy."

Aria giggled, turning to look at him. "It's a Chanel boot." She pointed across the room to the door. "Right there. And her name is Hanna."

Hardy pushed up onto his arms and narrowed his eyes at Aria, feigning annoyance. "Your list of friends is long."

Aria giggled, looking over at Hanna and Emily, and then back at Hardy. "So what have you nicknamed 'the others'?"

Hardy turned and looked over at Emily. "The lesbian." He looked to Spencer. "The smart-ass." He chuckled as he looked down at Adriana. "Sugar Pie."

"Hey," Spencer drawled, popping up on the other side of Aria. "What's with the _ass_?"

"Simple really," Hardy replied. "You're smart, but you're not inept from making comments off the handle that speak to your never-ending sarcasm."

"I thought **you **were the resident smart-ass," Aria said to Hardy.

Hardy smirked at her. "I am. But every large group has a double somewhere. The good news is I'm better at it."

Aria dropped her head back on Ezra's chest, giggling at Hardy's comment. After a moment, Ezra turned and looked over at Hardy. "So what the hell does that make me?"

"The Brains," replied. "Or, if you want the raw truth? The bookworm."

"You're not smart," Ezra replied. "Just the ass."

The room erupted in laughter as Ezra tossed a throw pillow at Hardy. Adriana whined an 'ow', and threw it back, only to hit Spencer in the face. Spencer threw it back, and hit Ezra.

Aria popped her head up. "Alright. This problem is getting solved right now. **Pillow fight!**"

_-  
>He's got a heavy heart and heavy hands<br>-_

The snowing stopped very early on Thursday morning, and by mid-day, snow had been plowed and electricians were out fixing power lines so that people could return home. Little by little people trickled out of the Hastings home and by that night, Aria and Ezra were back at their apartment.

She tossed her textbook onto the end of the bed and smiled at Ezra as he crawled up the bed and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. He slipped his hands under her t-shirt, rubbing her hips with his thumbs as he brushed his tongue over hers. He reluctantly pulled away from her a moment later and smiled down at her.

"Feeling better?" He asked. "Less…angry?"

Aria leaned forward and brushed her nose up against his before kissing him again. "I'm okay. I still wish my parents weren't splitting up, and I wish my dad wasn't so unfair about everything, but I'm going to live. After all, at least my mom is trying, right?"

Ezra nodded, kissing her once more. "So are you going to come with me to New York for that holiday they call Thanksgiving?"

Aria made a low guttural sound as she mulled over the question. "Is your mom making the lasagna?"

Ezra chuckled. "I'll look into it. I was hoping for cabbage rolls."

"Yum," Aria moaned, pulling him back up by his chin to kiss her. "You taste pretty good too."

Ezra raised his eyebrows at her. "In what way?"

Aria pulled on the ends of his t-shirt and tugged it up his waist. "Why don't we find out?"

Ezra raised his eyebrows at her and smirked as Aria tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor before she shoved him over onto the other side of the bed and straddled his right leg as she pressed her lips to his. Ezra moved his hands into her hair and cradled the back of her head as Aria tugged on the button of his jeans until it unsnapped and his zipper split apart. She slipped a hand inside his jeans.

Ezra tilted his head back and moaned. Aria trailed kisses down the side of his neck to his chest. His leg twitched under her as his penis began to harden under her grip. She released him and continued trailing kisses down his chest until she reached the waistband of his pants. She curled her fingers into the hem of his pants and boxers and tugged them down until they were mid-way down his thighs. She wrapped her hand around his growing erection and stroked him in a slow manner. However, it didn't take long before he was growling at her for the torturous movements.

Aria smirked as she looked up at him and then tilted her head down and brushed her tongue against the hardened tip of his erection. Her smile only widened as he shuddered under her. She wrapped her lips around him and took him all the way into her mouth. That was all it took for Ezra's hands to find their way into her hair, guiding her up and down.

Aria still had a few tricks up her sleeve, though. She hollowed her cheeks and curled her tongue around him. Those simple changes drove him to dig his nails into her scalp, but she didn't mind the pain as her head bobbed up and down. Precum leaked into her mouth as his orgasm began to build, and his grip tightened on her head. Aria took him all the way into her mouth and then tightened her lips around him. Ezra groaned, pulling her hair as his orgasm hit and he came, squirting down her throat and into her stomach.

Aria lifted her head up when he had released his grip on her hair and smiled up at him before crawling up to him. Ezra panted below her for a few moments and then smiled back at her before kicking off his jeans.

"You have _**far **_too many clothes on," he groaned huskily before wrapping a hand under her jean-clad thigh and rolling them over. In little more than a few seconds, her shirt was on the floor with his, and then he was pulling her pants off her body. She was entirely naked a few seconds later, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed his lips to her, pushing her back down onto the bed. One hand rested on the side of her face while the other moved between her legs. He slipped two fingers inside of her and smiled when she arched her back off the bed. He pushed her hips back down and curled his fingers inside of her. Aria moaned into his mouth again and he chuckled.

"God, Ezra," she groaned.

He smiled as he trailed kisses down her neck. "Two are capable of playing your game."

_-  
>Save me from the devil, devil archerist<br>- _

Aria stared down at the completed application for NYU. She was sending it out in a few days, but her nerves were a jumbled mess. It was her choice school, and she was also looking into scholarships, but she was terrified of not getting in. Or worse, she was afraid of actually getting in and then not being able to afford the tuition. She knew that financial aid would cover a portion of it, but given that she wasn't a resident of New York, she wasn't sure how much that would actually cover. And of course, there was always the issue of finding a job to work around her school schedule.

Ella walked over to her and leaned over the side of the desk, looking over the application. "It looks good, Aria. And your essay is perfect. There's no reason to second-guess anything about it when you send it out on Monday."

Aria looked up at her mother nervously. "Are you sure? Because I feel like there should be more effort being put into it all. It doesn't feel right."

Ella sat down on the chair connected to the desk across from Aria and folded her hands over her knee. "Is it really that, or are you afraid of what's to come in the next few months?"

"What do you mean?" Aria asked, as if she had no clue what Ella might be alluding to.

"College acceptance letters, financial aid applications, scholarships," Ella listed off. "It's certainly enough stress to carry around."

Aria's shoulders dropped as she looked down at the application on the top of her stack. "I just don't want to end up screwed and find myself back in Rosewood next year because I can't afford to go to the school I've wanted to for the last ten years."

Ella smiled comfortingly at her. "So let me help you."

Aria's jaw dropped slightly. "Mom, I couldn't ask you to do that. Not after everything that's happened. And besides, you and dad lost our college funds when the economy crashed-"

"Not all of it," Ella told her. "And we were able to build some of them back up in the last year, since I've started teaching full-time. It's not a lot, but we intended it to go towards your education, and I'll be damned if it doesn't do just that. I won't watch you **not** achieve your dreams because of a lack of funding."

"There's no way I could take that money," Aria said as tears filled her eyes. "Even if it **was **intended for college. I left you guys. I, I-"

"You did what you thought was right," Ella replied, cutting her off. "I understand that now. You were in an _impossible_ situation. But I **mean **it, Aria. I'm not going to see you lose a chance at stellar education because of a lack of money. And I'm not saying that it would cover a full ride anyhow. The funds **did **take a major hit when we came back to the states and the economy was as bad as it was. But we've still saved up a few thousand dollars for you. At least enough to cover your first year."

"Invest it then," Aria said. "Use it for Mike. I don't deserve it."

Ella sighed. There was a hint of that steely glare Aria knew so well, and it was clear that Ella was getting frustrated.

"Aria, I **won't **leave you destitute. And I know you better than to think that even if Ezra offered, you'd be willing to just take his family's money and cover your entire tuition with it. I've watched you work your butt off these past four years to get the grades to get into your choice school. I'm not going to let your choice to emancipate yourself be the reason that those dreams disappear. And it doesn't come with any strings attached-"

"I don't care!" Aria insisted, pushing up from her seat. She grabbed her college applications from her desk and then grabbed her school bag from beside her and slung it over her shoulder. "Give it to Mike, or buy something with it. I don't care, but I won't take it, and you can't make me."

She walked out of the room before Ella could say another word and headed down the hall to her locker. She stopped long enough to place her college applications in a folder so they wouldn't get torn up in her bag, and then grabbed her calculus book and placed it in her bag along with the folder before pulling on her jacket and hat and walking out of the building.

She stomped through the snow on the ground to get to her car in the parking lot. It was nearly empty, except for a few cars left over from students meeting in their respective clubs. When she reached her car, she opened her door and settled her things in her passenger seat. She started the car and immediately turned on the heat before doing anything else.

Once she had her seatbelt on and the car was a bit warmer, she put it into reverse and pulled out of her parking stall. She drove out of the parking lot and then headed towards the apartment, mulling over the past few minutes. She understood that her mother only wanted to help her, but she didn't feel right taking cash from her, regardless of the situation. After the past eight months, struggling to trust her parents and then being hurt by them twice, taking money even if there really **wasn't **any strings attached didn't feel right. Her parents had raised her to do for herself and not expect anything from other people, and if that meant not taking from them, then that's what she would do. She couldn't take money from them when she had walked out on them.

She arrived at home some minutes later, and grabbed her things before walking into the apartment. She dropped her bag into one of the chairs at the small table she and Ezra had, and then removed her coat and hat while kicking off her snow covered boots onto the small rug that they kept near the doorway for wet shoes.

"Something wrong?" Ezra asked as he walked out of the kitchen holding a mug of steaming coffee. The wetness on the legs of his jeans gave away that he'd only just arrived home.

Aria shook her head, hanging her coat off the back of a chair before she opened her book bag and pulled out her textbooks and settling them on the table. "I'm fine. I just…" She sighed, shaking her head again.

"You just talked with your mother and she upset you?" Ezra asked.

She looked up at him. "How did you know?"

Ezra shrugged, settling his coffee mug on the table. "She called me and told me that you walked out on her. Figured maybe I could talk some sense into you."

Aria shook her head again. "There's no sense to be talked."

"Really?" He asked, walking up to her. He placed his hands on her biceps, smiling ruefully at her. "Nothing at all?"

"No," Aria said insistently. She looked up at him. "And do you enjoy hopping over the sides of this fence? Because every time I turn around, you're changing your mind about my parents and how I should handle the entire situation."

Ezra huffed, pressing his lips together for a moment. He sat down in a chair and pulled her down into the one next to his, wrapping his arm around the back of the seat as she crossed her arms. "I'm not a psychic," he replied. "But when I see you suffering over something, especially when it's related to your parents, I want to help you solve it. Maybe my answers seem a bit irrational, but I know that deep down, you want nothing more than to have both your parents in your life and happy with you and the choices you've made. And it seems that your mother really wants to make the steps toward fixing what's been torn apart in the past few months."

"But what if I do it and she screws me over again?" Aria asked him. What if I let her back into my life and she tries to come between us like my father did, and…I don't know." She dropped her head into her hands, resting her elbows on the table.

Ezra rubbed his hand up and down her back. "Well if it's any consolation, she's never called me before about you. Well, except for when she told me to stay away from you earlier this year. Look, I don't want to make you feel like you **have **to do what I say or what she says. I just think maybe you should sleep on it. I think your mother honestly **does **love you. It's probably why she was the one to make the steps forward all through the past eight months, even if some of them were misguided."

_-  
>Everything you love will burn up in the light<br>__And every time I look inside your eyes you make me wanna die  
>-<em>

Aria read over her entrance essay for the thousandth time, determined to find even the slightest mistake. Even though Ezra and her mother had both read it over and had given her official English teacher sign-offs, she was nervous still to agree that what she'd finished was good enough to send in. She wanted to be absolutely sure that what she turned in was proper enough for admission.

She sighed, settling the finished essay on the table. She settled her finished-in-pen application on top of the essay and then lifted both and tapped them against the table a few times to make sure that they were lined up straight before she placed them in the folder and then sealed the top of it. She turned it over and picked up her felt pen and then rested it over the center of the folder. Her hand hovered there for a brief moment before she scrawled '_New York University' _across the top line. She looked up at the blackboard where Ella had written out the address for her, and then wrote down the address on the manila envelope. A few moments later, she was finished. She turned the envelope back over and sealed the top before settling it back on the table.

A few inches away rested other applications. She'd filled one out for New York's outlet university of Berkeley, as well as one for New York State University. As a last resort, she'd also filled out an application for Hollis. While she knew it was a good school, she didn't want to stay in Rosewood for college. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be in Rosewood once she was finished with college, wherever she attended it.

Ella walked up to her and looked down at the sealed envelope. She handed Aria several more, and Aria took them. She picked up the New York State application and placed it in the envelope before sealing it and settling it down on the table. She picked up her felt pen and filled out the address on the folder.

She repeated the process with each application, and when she was finished, she stared down at the four sealed envelopes.

"Aria…"

She looked up at her mother and gave a small smile. "I **have **thought about everything you said the other day, and I made a decision."

Ella nodded. "Okay."

Aria chewed on her thumbnail for a moment. "I decided that I'm not going to agree to take it," she said. Ella's expression dulled.

"At least not now," Aria continued. "I want to make sure we stay on a good track and things don't fall apart again in six months. But if things are still going well in August, I'll reconsider my options," she said.

Ella smiled, reaching out to grab one of Aria's hands. She squeezed it lightly. "I'm glad. That sounds entirely reasonable."

Aria smiled back at her. "It really **does **mean a lot that you offered to help pay for college for me. And it means a lot that you're trying to make an effort with both me and Ezra."

Ella hugged Aria. Her eyes were glassy with tears. "You're the only daughter I have, and ever **will **have, Aria. It took me a long time to really grasp what that meant, but I'm not willing to do anything to lose that now. It means the world to have you say 'mom' again. I can't even tell you…"

Tears filled Aria's eyes, and for the briefest moment, it reminded her of the moments she'd shared with her mother back in May, just before her and Ezra's car accident. She remembered how her mother had been so willing to change then, and then things had taken a turn for the worst. Still, she knew in her heart that this wasn't like last year. There was something about the way Ella was acting towards her; she knew that it was real this time.

She packed her things up into her bag and then grabbed her coat. As she was pushing her arms into the sleeves, she looked up at her mother.

"Do you think dad will ever come around to Ezra and I together?" Aria asked.

Ella shrugged, organizing a stack of papers on her desk. "I really don't know, sweetie. I mean a part of me says yes, because he genuinely **did **like Ezra when he was just a colleague and a family friend. But your father is very proud, and you're his only daughter. I just hope that one day he'll realize that the way I did. He's not going to get to experience the things coming up in your life with someone else. If he misses them, he'll miss them for good."

Aria nodded, and a stray tear fell down her face. She knew her mother was talking about taking steps forward in her relationship with Ezra. Getting engaged. Getting married. Having kids….at some point. If Byron wasn't there for those occasions with her, he was going to miss out on a lot.

She took a deep breath and wiped the tear off her face before pulling her hat over her head and picking up her bag. "I never thought I'd say it, but if I have to settle for having just one parent accept us, I'm glad it was you."

Ella hugged Aria once more. "I'm sure your father will buckle under the pressure of your brother and I. It just takes time."

Aria nodded again. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and checked the time before looking back up at Ella. "I should get to work."

Ella nodded. They exchanged goodbyes and then Aria headed out of the room.

Her evening progressed in similar fashion to any other night that she had to work. She spent her shift juggling between dealing with rushes of customers, and then the lulls of nothing when the store was virtually empty for four hours before she punched out and headed out into the mall, and then proceeded to check out a few stores for Christmas gifts. She was working on a tight budget, and didn't have a clue what she was going to get for most of the people in her life, but window shopping seemed to help at least in the slightest. She was pretty sure she was going to get Adriana and Hardy a joint gift, and she had looked at a few things for Ezra, but beyond that, she didn't have a single clue what to buy.

She headed home after a while, only to be greeted by the smell of lasagna. Her mouth watered as she dropped her school bag onto a chair and removed her coat.

"Is that your mother's lasagna I smell?" Aria asked as she dropped her jacket onto the back of her chair.

"Oh, it's possible."

Aria grinned as Serena came walking out of the kitchen. She squealed and welcomed the hug that Serene greeted her with a moment later.

"It's so good to see you," she said cheerfully. "I didn't think we would until Thanksgiving!"

Serena chuckled, rubbing Aria's back as they parted. "I figured I'd pop in for a few days. I've got a three day vacation, and I thought, who better to spend it with, than my kids? Of course you all make it so easy by living in the same city," she laughed.

Aria smiled. She looked around Serena, finally realizing that Ezra hadn't walked out. "Where's Ezra?"

"He went over to Hollis to let Adriana and Hardy know that I popped in to surprise the four of you. They all should be back shortly. Can I interest you in some breadsticks in the meantime?" Serena offered.

"Yes!" Aria said cheerfully. "I'm famished."

Serena chuckled and turned to walk into the kitchenette. She walked out a moment later with a small bread basket filled with seasoned breadsticks. Aria took one and took a bite from it. She smiled as she chewed the delicious stick.

"Ezra tells me you all were snowed in on Thursday." Serena commented.

Aria nodded. "It was like never-ending white. Although it stopped being pretty about five minutes after the snow stopped, and there was mud all of it."

Serena chuckled and nodded. "He also said you played a vital hand in helping Addy and Hardy to work through their issues."

Aria shrugged, picking off a small piece of her breadstick with her fingers and popping it in her mouth. "They both loved each other, and she knew what she wanted. She just needed a shove in the right direction."

Serena smiled. "I'm glad you were there to help her through that. It seemed that nothing I or Ezra could say helped. Though, it does make a mother curious. What exactly **did **you say to her?"

"Just that it was better to be scared and going forward than to let her fear keep her from seizing what she really wanted. There was something in there about jealousy too. Either way, I think they're pretty set at this point."

"And the girl who kissed him at the gala?" Serena asked. There was a hint of concern in her voice.

"Drunk," Aria replied without even thinking about it. "She forced herself on him before he could even react to her."

"So all in all, my children are in good places," Serena said with a smile. "That's great." She paused for a moment and then leaned in to Aria with a puckish smile. "Not to worry. I'll ask Ezra the same things about you not too long from now."

Aria giggled and shook her head at Serena. Before either of them could say anything else, the door opened and Ezra walked in with Hardy and Adriana. Hardy and Ezra were mid-conversation, but as soon as Adriana was through the door, she charged up to Aria and Serena.

"Mom!" She squealed happily. Serena smiled and greeted her with a hug.

"Oh, you made lasagna," Hardy said lustfully.

Ezra unzipped his jacket and settled it on the back of a chair next to Aria's and kissed her chastely. "Have a good day?" He asked. She nodded.

They each settled into a chair; Ezra and Adriana sat on either side of Serena, leaving Aria and Hardy seated next to each other. Shortly after they each sat down, Serena excused herself to the kitchenette to take the lasagna out of the oven. She returned to the small dining area moment later with the pan, and settled it on a cooling rack that had been laid out on the middle of the table. She used a spatula to carve generous squares into the lasagna, and then served everyone before herself, and then sat back down at the table.

Chatter ensued as the five of them sat and ate. Adriana talked about her studies and everything that was to come up before Christmas break, while Hardy and Ezra talked about what they were teaching in their respective classes. When discussion came around to Aria, she mentioned the SATs, which were coming up later in the week.

When they had finished dinner, they retired to the sitting room and Hardy and Ezra each had a glass of wine. Aria and Adriana each settled down with textbooks; Adriana with her psych book, and Aria with the SAT study book. They passed the rest of the evening there and then when Aria was too tired to hold her head up, she dismissed herself from the family room and headed into the bedroom. She changed out of her clothes and grabbed one of Ezra's t-shirts from the dresser before curling up under the blankets.

She plugged her phone into it's charger and then brought up her SocialPage on it. Most of her fellow students were the upcoming SATs. There were a few messages from Hanna, Emily, and Spencer asking about her meeting up to study with them like they had the previous year, but she'd had to work after school, so studying with them hadn't been an option.

She tapped on the _'Write something' _ square, and her keyboard popped up. Her fingers lingered over the keypad. She stared at it for a few moments and then began to type.

_**SATs in two days? No worrries.  
><strong>__**It's just the most important test of my high school existence.**_

Just a few seconds after the post went through, there were 'likes' on the post. She chuckled and closed the app before placing her phone back on the nightstand.

Ezra walked into the room a few moments later and removed his jeans and shirt before crawling into bed next to her. He walked over to the side of the bed and pulled the blankets back before slipping underneath them and lying down next to Aria. She turned over and curled up against him, nuzzling her head into his neck.

"I'm so tired," she yawned. Ezra smiled, rubbing his knuckles up and down her arm.

"So go to sleep," he murmured.

"Is your mom staying?" She murmured as she nuzzled her face further against his neck.

"Just for the night," he replied. "She'll go stay with Hardy and Adriana tomorrow night, and then she'll go back to New York. She seems excited for Thanksgiving, though."

He waited for Aria to reply, but when she didn't after a few moments, he tilted his head back and looked down at her. She was fast asleep.

"Good night to you too," he laughed softly to himself. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, baby."


	12. Hold On To This Lullaby

_Chapter 12_

_Hold On To This Lullaby_

The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving became increasingly stressful as time passed. Aria had her SATs, and though she hoped that she would feel better after they had been taken, her stress only mounted as she waited to hear back. It didn't help that she was nervous as hell for her first holiday with the Fitz family.

It shouldn't have bugged her as much as it had been, but it did. She couldn't help but worry what Serena thought of her since her and Ezra's near-breakup. Granted, she knew that helping Adriana and Hardy through their issues had earned her points, but she also couldn't help but worry that the woman she hoped would one day be her mother-in-law, was angry with her.

Her emotions were also torn in Rosewood as well. Things were still looking up with Ella, and she and Mike had never been better, but she hated the idea of her mother being alone over the holiday. She knew that Mike was spending a lot of time at Byron's place.

She tapped her pen against her notebook, staring up at the clock. She was in World History, but given that it was a holiday weekend, her classes were less than half an hour long, and she would be finished with the day in just a few minutes. Then she would be headed home for a few hours, and when Ezra was finished with his classes for the day, they would be headed out of town for the weekend.

She looked back down at her notebook and stared at the blank page. She had scrawled _'Christmas list' _at the top, but she was getting nowhere. She didn't even know what to get Ezra, and it certainly didn't help that his birthday had been completely skipped over because of the car accident.

The bell rang, and the teacher dismissed them, telling them to enjoy their holiday. Aria sighed and pushed up from her desk, grabbing her bag and her notebook. She recapped her pen and then walked out of the room, only to bump right into Ella.

"Aria!" Ella said cheerfully. "World History?"

Aria nodded, tucking her notebook into her bag. "We didn't do anything. I was actually trying to make a Christmas list of ideas for presents. I haven't come up with a single thing."

Ella smiled, turning to head down the hall in the opposite direction with Aria. "I'm sure you'll come up with something. You usually do."

Aria's shoulders slumped as she sighed. "I feel like I may be tapped out this year. The closer the holidays get, the more stressed I get about how everything is changing."

Ella rubbed her hand up and down the middle of Aria's back. "Change is a good thing, pookiebear."

Aria's mouth turned up into a smile and she began to giggle. Her mother hadn't called her pookiebear in more than a decade. "Please, mom. Not here, when my friends are within earshot."

They walked into Ella's classroom and Ella walked over to the desk while Aria leaned up against the wall near the door.

"Well really, Aria. When have you ever accepted change as it came at you. For as long as I've known you, you've always been afraid of something that could dramatically change your life. Except for maybe Ezra." Ella said.

"It just feels like its too much at once," Aria said. "I don't want to turn around next December and realize that I don't like the choices I made because I was too caught up in 'riding the wave'."

Ella chuckled. "Aria Montgomery, riding the wave and getting caught up in the maelstrom of things? Have you ever?" She shook her head, narrowing her eyes just the slightest at Aria. "I don't think so. You've always had a good head on your shoulders and known better than to make bad choices."

Aria's smile grew just slightly. It was probably one of the first time she'd heard Ella not refer to loving Ezra as a bad choice.

"So, thanksgiving with the Fitz family?" Ella asked a few moments later, breaking Aria out of her reverie. Aria nodded tentatively. Ella chuckled. "Are you nervous.

Aria thought about lying, but in the end she nodded. "I know I've been there before, but ever since September…I don't want his mom to hate me."

Ella chuckled. "I didn't really get the impression that she hated you when I met her. And I think that, given the situation, she wouldn't hate you for the choices you made. You've been in a tough position these past few months, and I think you chose wisely, considering. She seemed to be a very understanding woman, and I doubt that she'll jump down your throat when you and Ezra have worked to make your relationship work."

Aria nodded. She pulled on a frayed thread on her black long-sleeved shirt while she stared down at her knee-high black boots. Her jeans were tucked into them. "So what're you going to do?"

"Going to visit my parents," Ella said with a sigh. She looked up at Aria and gave a small smile. "They invited both Mike and I, but Mike's decided to stay here with your father." She was quiet for a moment, but Aria wondered if there was something more she wasn't saying.

"S-so you'll be in New York this weekend too," Aria said.

Ella nodded. "Yes." She was quiet for a few more moments before she looked up at Aria. "Should you decide you want to… they'd be overjoyed to see you."

Aria raised her eyebrows at her mother. Somehow that logic didn't sound right to her. When she'd spoken last to her grandmother, she hadn't been pleased about her choices with Ezra. Her grandfather had been more forgiving, telling her that true love happened when it happened, and who was she to try and run from it if it was what God intended for her.

"Really?" She said with a slight chuckle.

Ella nodded again. "Your grandparents love you. Honestly, your grandmother probably threw confetti and did a victory dance when I told her your father and I were getting divorced."

Aria laughed. "Well, she **did **say he was where I learned about inappropriate romances."

Ella smiled. "My mother forgets to filter her thoughts. But I don't want you to feel like you **have **to come. It's your choice, if you and Ezra-"

Aria walked over to the desk, and laid her hand over her mothers. "We'll come."

Ella didn't say anything, but there was a cheerfulness in her eyes.

"You're trying," Aria said. "And I promised myself that if you tried, I would try, so I will."

Her phone buzzed a moment later, and she rummaged into her bag, searching through it until she found it rattling against her math textbook. She pulled it out and tapped the screen.

_**You on your way? Hardy and  
>Adriana are already on me about the food<strong>_

_**-Ezra**_

She giggled and shook her head, tapping back quick reply before tucking her phone into her pocket. "I'll talk to Ezra. We'll come by some time later in the evening on Thanksgiving, or Friday."

Her phone buzzed again, and she laughed as she looked at the message.

_**C'mon! I want linguine and mussels!**_

_**-Hardy **_

She shook her head, tapping back a slightly more aggressive reply before she looked up at Ella. The look on her face wasn't something that was familiar to her. "What?"

Ella shook her head. "You just seem very…serene, and at peace with where you are right now, even though you insist you're so stressed."

Aria smirked. "I am." She nodded. "But now I've got to run before my future brother-in-law chops my head off because he didn't get his linguine and mussels. I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she headed out the door.

_-  
>It's good to hear your voice, I hope you're doing fine<br>__And if you ever wonder, I'm lonely here tonight  
>-<em>

Aria dropped her bags into the back of Ezra's jeep and then pulled the trunk door down and closed it. There were flurries coming down, but it was relatively light, so there was no reason for it to affect their driving.

Ezra lifted up the back window connected to the trunk and tossed in the last bag before he looked at Aria. "You wanna drive?"

She smirked at him, snatching the keys from him.

"_You're a **terrible **driver!" He insisted as he slammed on the breaks. The first snowfall of the season had hit over thanksgiving, but they had both been with family, and hadn't been able to see each other until Saturday. Aria's parents thought she was at Spencer's house eating leftovers with her friends, but they weren't planning to meet until late that night. _

"_I am NOT!" She cried, giggling as she shot forward against her seatbelt. The roads were slick with black ice and after she had nearly hit a mailbox, two curbs, and a stop post, Ezra had insisted she hand the keys over and let him drive. "It's all the ice!"  
><em>

_Ezra chuckled as he looked over at her. "All those things were on the street! You nearly killed a stop sign!" _

"_The stop sign is already dead, Ezra," Aria said with the best laugh she could muster. "Seriously, how many stop signs do you know that have a waving hand over them, that have had every finger but one removed?"_

Ezra laughed. "How many stop signs do you know that have waving hands over them?"

Aria started the jeep and then eased out of his parking space, mentally going over everything she had done in preparation for leaving. She didn't want to get halfway to New York and realize the coffeepot was still on.

Ezra scrolled through the iTask app on his phone. "Coffee maker's unplugged, all expired food is thrown away, every light in the house is off."

Aria nodded. She pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it to him. He tapped in the four number password that locked it and her own list came up.

"Sweats?" He asked. She nodded. "Extra jacket?"

Aria nodded again. He read through the list until she was sure they had covered everything. When they were both sure everything they needed to be done had been, they headed over to Hardy and Adriana's apartment.

Upon arrival, they were both already standing outside, making out against Hardy's car. Aria chuckled and Ezra visibly gagged. She pushed the horn lightly, and the two parted. Hardy looked back at them and mockingly glared at her before they walked over to the car. He went around to the back and opened the trunk to add their bags to the pile while Adriana climbed into the back seat. She was wearing black pants and a bright red winter jacket. She tugged off her hat and mittens as Hardy came to join her in the back seat and pulled the door shut.

"Please don't kill us," Adriana joked as she tugged a seatbelt on. She'd heard about the drive after last year's thanksgiving more than one.

Aria whipped her head around and stuck her tongue out at Adriana before checking her rearview mirror, and then both of the side mirrors. One she was sure it was safe, she backed out and then headed out of the apartment parking lot.

They all talked for the first half hour of the drive, and then eventually the talking died out as the list of things to chat about was covered, leaving them bored. Shortly after getting through Philadelphia, Adriana fell asleep in the back seat, and Hardy seemed to be enthralled with a hearty game of temple run.

Ezra brushed his thumb over Aria's knee as she brushed her fingers over the back of his hand. There was a very thin scar at the top of the back of his wrist where there was a small metal plate from the surgery that had repaired his broken wrist after their car accident. It wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it, but Aria often found herself running her finger against it.

"How's your mom handling the holidays?" He asked quietly as his thumb brushed just under the inside of her boot.

Aria shrugged, changing lanes to avoid a semi that was insistent on driving recklessly. "She's coming to New York to spend time with my grandparents."

Ezra raised his eyebrows. "Didn't they-"

"Tell me I should be ashamed of myself?" She finished for him. Ezra nodded. She nodded as well. "They all but jumped for joy when my mom told them she was getting a divorce, though."

If it was possible, Ezra raised his eyebrows even more. Aria chuckled. She glanced over at him and then back at the road. It was sad that the highways were always cleaner than city streets.

"I thought your family was all one big happy… union." Ezra said.

Aria smirked, shaking her head. "My grandparents weren't very fond of my father. Like, ever. They thought my mother could've done better, but when they decided to get married, my grandparents accepted it. When they found out he cheated, though, they were furious. My grandmother told my mom she was weak for staying. Anyway, I guess they miss me or something. I told her I'd _try_to come."

Ezra watched her expression for a few moments and then nodded. "You should go."

Aria looked over at him, and then back at the road. "You think so?"

"I think you **want **to go," he replied. "And we're on good terms with your mother, so why not give it a chance? At least then we'll know where we stand."

Aria exhaled a long breath. "Because I've been stressed already over the holidays with your mother?"

Ezra chuckled. "The holidays with my mother will be fine. It's not as if this is the first time you're meeting her."

"No, but it's the first time I'll be around her since we almost broke up. I can't imagine that while I was thwarting you all summer to run around with my parents and my friends that she thought very highly of me for putting you on the backburner." She said.

"My mother adores you," Ezra told her. "And she understands what you were dealing with. She doesn't think bad of you for the choices you made."

Aria's expression didn't change. Ezra sighed.

"If anything, I'm **glad **you made the choices you did," he said. When Aria looked up at him, surprised, he nodded. "It put us in a position of having to decide whether our relationship was what you really wanted. And I'm glad you chose us, but if we hadn't gone through that, there's this possibility that we could be living in a false sense of security. And, I like to think that going through those things helped you to help Dre through her fears with Hardy."

Aria smiled at him. "You think too highly of me."

"No," he disagreed. "I love you. I think just enough of you."

_-  
>Help, I have done it again<br>__I have been here many times before  
>-<em>

Upon arrival at Serena's home, they all unpacked their things, and Aria and Ezra settled into the back room on the second floor. Though Ezra's old room was still set up and open as his room, the two of them seemed to have claimed the back room as their own. They shared most of their memories in that room, and preferred it to sleeping in his old room.

"Why don't you just move your bed in here," Serena offered.

Ezra looked up at her. "Because it's not my bedroom. My bedroom is the first room at the top of the stairs."

"Maybe so," she agreed, "but you don't really sleep in there. You two have slept in this room every night since…well since Addy's birthday. And it's not as if I mind. It doesn't get used otherwise. But you can't possibly tell me that sleeping on the floor is more comfortable than sleeping on an actual bed."

Ezra looked to Aria and they both shrugged. He looked back at his mother. "We manage."

Aria scratched the back of her neck with a light smile playing on her face as she stared down at the floor.

"Unless you've got any complaints," he added.

Aria looked up at him and shook her head. "No."

His stare stayed on her and she chuckled.

"Well, it would be nice to not be laying on something so hard and unforgiving in the morning. My limbs don't like it." She said.

Serena watched them for a few moments, and she could see conflict in both their eyes. Ezra didn't want to take apart his childhood bedroom because of the memories it held, and Aria didn't want to push him to do anything he didn't want, but they both also wanted to be comfortable.

"Tell you what," Serena said. "Why don't we bring up the old bed from the basement? You boys can put it together, and bring in the box spring and mattress off that frame in the guest room."

Hardy and Ezra exchanged a look and then both nodded before they set to work. Aria and Adriana headed downstairs with Serena, where Aria let herself be convinced into making chocolate cheesecake from scratch.

As she churned eggs and cream cheese in a bowl with a beater, she listened to Serena tell a story about Ezra and Adriana. It was comforting to be surrounded by a family that was so close. Even when her parents had been married, it had been so long since there was true happiness in her home and it had buzzed with a cheerfulness like this, that Aria missed it. It was comforting to know Ezra had it.

Adriana giggled, swiping her finger through a bowl of melting chocolate chips over a hot plate. "So, I finally convince Ezra to get on the sled with me and take me down the hill, and he's _pissed_. He's grumbling about how I'm spoiled and get everything I want, and we're going down this hill. The snow is flying at us so hard that we can't see anything, but the next thing I know, he throws me off the side of the sled. I start screaming and crying because he's being mean."

"How rude!" Aria cried, setting the beater aside. She walked over to where Adriana was standing and dipped a marshmallow into the melted chocolate before taking a bite.

Adriana shakes her head, still laughing. "So our mom starts running down the hill because I'm screaming, and runs right past me, so now I'm really miffed I watch her running and finally get why everyone's ignoring me."

"Oh no," Aria murmured, frowning, even though she had just been laughing.

Adriana nodded. "Ezra saw that we were about to go over this jump by accident, but this guy on a snowboard was going off it too. He was so light on the sled, that when he went over the jump, he hit the back of the snowboard, and he pushed me off so that I wouldn't get hurt."

Aria laughed, even as she frowned.

"So long story short, we spent like six hours in the ER, and he ended up with three stitches in his nose and eight in his upper lip because of me."

"I was always getting abused out in public because of you," Ezra interjected as he and Hardy walked into the kitchen. He snatched a devilled egg of the counter. Hardy reached out to grab one, only to have Serena smack his hand. He scowled at her.

"Those are for tomorrow." She said, waggling a finger at him.

"Ezra took one!" Hardy whined. Aria and Adriana giggled.

Ezra popped the last of the evidence in his mouth and smiled at Serena with a closed mouth before she could see anything. She shook her head and walked over to him, before turning back to look at Hardy.

"Now, why would my son do something like that? He knows better. He's been here for Thanksgiving every year for the last 23 years. He's not stupid enough to take a devilled egg."

As she gave her speech, Ezra grinned happily at Hardy, finishing off the evidence. Serena turned back to Ezra.

"But you know he's always been terrible about keeping his food in his mouth," she said as she reached up and wiped the yolk-mayonaise-mustard mix off his face and rubbed it onto her apron with a scolding look in her eyes. She swiped her hand against the back of his had, swatting him lightly. "Shame on you."

Ezra shrugged, chuckling. "Stop being such a good cook, ma. Maybe I'll get better about it then."

She rolled her eyes. "I could cook leftovers out of the garbage and you kids would still eat it and call it heaven. I thank God every day that I don't have to survive through another year of you three gorging on food through finals."

"Apple fritters!" Ezra and Hardy said cheerfully. They high-fived.

"Home made?" Aria asked.

Serena nodded, chuckling. "Those boys **loved **apple fritters. I swear they both gained ten pounds their senior year because they spent more time staring at a textbook than what was going into their mouths."

"I was the good child," Adriana said smugly with a smirk on her face. She hopped up onto an open space on the counter and swung her legs back and forth.

Ezra rolled his eyes, narrowing them at her. "**What**_**ever**_! She still owes me for mom's birthday two years ago. She was supposed to cover half the cake, and then when **she **knocked it off the stand, **I** had to buy the new one, and she never paid me for the original!"

Aria giggled, shaking her head. There was such a comfort in the family feeling that she felt among these people. As it held over the room, she realized how much she'd missed it when she'd lived with her parents. She missed the laughter that she and Mike used to have while Ella worked on dinner and Byron graded papers at the table. She missed the unplanned food fights that happed when Mike teased her about a boy or she made a comment about a girl he liked.

Serena turned her watch on her wrist. "The pizzeria is going to close shortly, and you boys should probably head out and get us some dinner before that happens."

Adriana hopped down from the counter. "I'll come too. Leah is coming in from Princeton this weekend."

Ezra glared at his sister. "It's Thanksgiving-"

"And she's got no family to spend it with," she argued back. "Or did you miss me telling you six months ago that her parents were killed in that plane crash?"

"Alright, alright," Serena said sternly to the both of them. She turned to Ezra. "Leah **was **invited. She's coming in on the train, so **yes**, it would be nice if you would go pick her up."

Ezra wrapped his hand under Aria's elbow and leaned down to peck her on the lips. "I'll be back." He leaned his head against hers, whispering in her ear. "Steal an egg for me."

Aria giggled, leaning up to kiss him once more before he walked out of the kitchen with Adriana and Hardy. Aria dipped another marshmallow into the melted chocolate and ate it, standing in silence as Serena moved around the kitchen.

The door closed at the front of the house a few moments later. Aria stared at the floor, feeling slightly out of place.

Serena dropped a dishtowel onto the island in the middle of the kitchen and looked up at Aria. "Something wrong, dear?"

Aria shook her head, looking up at her and forcing a smile onto her face. "Not at all."

Serena chuckled. "My children have never been able to lie to me, and I can see it's going to stem to the people they marry. So what's getting your goat?"

Aria chuckled at the term. "I just…" She shook her head, looking up at Serena. "I don't want you to be disappointed with me. I know that I hurt Ezra a lot this past summer, but it wasn't because I didn't love him, and-"

"And nothing, sweet heart," Serena said, cutting her off. "What happened, happened. We all live and learn, and we learn from our mistakes. As far as I can tell, you two are still together and as much in love with each other as you were the day I met you. And it means everything that you feel for any reason to apologize, but it's not needed. You're already forgiven."

Aria smiled tentatively. "I just hate the idea that Ezra was hurting, and I was too blind to see it."

Serena walked over to her and hugged her. "Live and learn, darlin'. Live and learn."

_-  
>Don't wanna wait in line, the moment is mine, believe me<br>-_

Aria squirmed under Ezra as she giggled, trying to get free from his tickling fingers.

"Say it!" He laughed, nibbling on the side of her neck.

She squirmed even more so and squealed. "You're the best! You're better at everything!"

Ezra laughed, releasing her. Aria looped her arms around his neck and brought his head down to her. He slipped his tongue into her mouth as his fingers brushed over her hips. He moaned softly into her mouth.

"Seriously?" Right on the couch? That's so gross, dude."

Ezra looked up at Hardy and rolled his eyes. "Shut up." He sat up, pulling Aria up against him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "How're your parents?"

Hardy shrugged. "Parents. They're still fighting, and none of my siblings are coming home for the holiday. Must be nice to be married with kids and insist that you have to spend the holidays elsewhere."

Ezra chuckled. "It's not like we're kicking you out the door."

"I know," Hardy whined. "I just wish they'd make a choice between getting their marriage together or getting a divorce." He sighed heavily and then looked around the corner, into the kitchen. "She still awake?"

Ezra nodded. "At the kitchen table reading, like she always does."

Hardy took a deep breath and then nodded. "Here goes nothing."

He walked into the kitchen, and Serena looked up at him. A smirk played on her face as she watched him sit down at the table in the seat next to him. She settled her book face down on the table, holding the page by keeping it open. She had been expecting this conversation for weeks now, and while she already knew her answer, she wasn't above letting him squirm a little.

"Serena…"

She smiled at him. "Hardy."

He took another long breath and then looked up at her. "You know how I feel about Adriana, and everything that's gone on the past few months. I was hoping to hold off to this point as it was to begin with, but things kind of got thrown for a loop back in September." He paused for a moment, looking up at her. The smile was still present on her face. "I wanted to know, if, with your permission, I might ask Adriana to marry me."

Serena stared at him for several moments before she moved a hand to rest over his. "I have known you for more than five years. I have loved you like a son of my own, and watched you make some **brilliant **mistakes. But I've also watched you grow, and change. And know that without a shadow of a doubt that you love my daughter because of how hard you fought for her these past few months." She squeezed his hand lightly. "Yes. I'd love to see you marry my daughter."

Hardy exhaled a sigh of relief, and they shared a smile before they both stood and hugged each other.

"Great," Ezra said cheerfully from the next room. "Now you've just gotta get my sister down the aisle, and we'll officially be brothers."

Hardy turned around and glared at Ezra. "Don't jinx me!"

"I'm not going ring shopping with you, either." Ezra said, still laughing.

"Why would you?" Aria asked, looking up at him. "I already volunteered. Weeks ago."

"Well fine then," Ezra said, feigning discontent. "I don't love you two either."

Aria giggled, burying her face in his chest. "You're such a _**geek **_sometimes!"

Adriana walked into the room a moment later and raised an eyebrow at them before she walked over to Hardy. "I **always **thought he was a geek. The fact that you're just cluing into that now is **hilarious.**"

Aria laughed, looking up at her. "But he's such a _gorgeous _geek. He's smart and pretty."

Adriana turned to Hardy. "Alright, can we go to bed before they make me vomit?"

Hardy chuckled and nodded. Everyone said their good nights, and then Hardy and Adriana headed up the stairs. Aria and Ezra followed shortly thereafter, and walked up to the room that they seemed to have deemed their room. Aria slipped out of her clothing and into one of Ezra's t-shirts before she crawled up onto the bed. Ezra joined her a moment later, clad in flannel pajama pants and a thermal shirt.

"Cold?" She asked.

He shrugged, sitting down next to her. "It's not exactly the warmest room in the house.

Aria curled up next to him once he was under the blankets, and rested her head on his chest. He brushed his fingers through her hair, staring across the room at the unlit fireplace. "You know you're pretty great," she said softly as she traced circles on his chest with her index finger.

Ezra chuckled. "You're not so bad yourself." He curled his hand under leg and pulled her up so that she was straddling his lap, and then brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He sat up straighter and brushed his nose against hers. "And I maybe, kinda love you."

Aria laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She brushed her lips up against his. "I maybe kinda love you too."


	13. Tell The World I'm Coming Home

_Chapter 13_

_Tell The World I'm Coming Home_

Ezra yawned as his eyes opened the next morning. It was early still, and Aria was curled up into the blankets next to him. He shivered from the lack of blankets, but moved off the bed and walked around it. He grabbed his clothes from the floor and pulled them on before walking around the bed and walking out of the room. As he headed down the hall, Adriana's bedroom door opened, and Hardy stepped out as well. He looked up at Ezra, surprised.

"They sleep like logs," Ezra muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Hardy chuckled, nodding as he followed Ezra down the hallway and around the banister the to the steps. They both walked down the steps to find Serena at the table, reading the same book she had been reading the night before. She looked up at them and smiled.

"Morning, boys. Sleep well?"

Ezra shrugged, walking past her and into the kitchen. He walked over to the gourmet coffee maker she'd had put in over the summer and pushed a few buttons before settling his cup under it. A few moments later, it began to make the latte he was craving.

Hardy walked into the room and walked over to the oven. He reached inside and pulled out a cooled cookie sheet and settled it on the counter. Ezra's eyes grew wide as he looked at what was on the sheet.

"She made apple fritters," he said yearningly.

Hardy chuckled and nodded, grabbing one of them. He pulled off a piece and then popped it into his mouth. Ezra walked over and grabbed another off the tray. He took a bite out of it and smiled as the flavour filled his mouth.

"You know we're going to both die fat if she has anything to say about it," Hardy laughed.

Ezra shook his head. "You will. I have the capacity to be smart enough to get up and go for a run every morning."

Hardy punched him in the shoulder. Ezra scowled at him and then punched him back in the same place. They both laughed a moment later.

The coffee maker beeped a moment later, and he walked over to grab his cup from below it. He turned off the machine and then walked back into the dining room and sat down at the table. Serena grabbed the paper from below her and pushed it across the table to Ezra. He pulled the New Releases section out and looked over the best-sellers.

The morning passed swiftly, with the three of them reading quietly while they filled up on their first doses of caffeine, and Ezra and Hardy shared sections of the paper until they both had finished, and then they both resorted to reading through papers that had been turned in for their classes. Sometime after nine, Adriana came down the stairs and joined them. She snatched the paper from the table and began to read as she started in on her first cup of coffee for the day, while Serena became more distracted by the food cooking in the kitchen.

"Does that girlfriend of yours have comas when she sleeps?" Hardy asked

Ezra chuckled, shaking his head as he walked out of the kitchen with his fifth latte. He was one cup away from feeling like the energizer bunny, but he always over-indulged when he could.

"She works her ass off all week so that she can graduate with honours and not have to rely on others for the things she needs." Ezra said. "I'd say she's entitled to sleep in all morning if she wants."

"Yeah, but you don't really let her do that," Adriana said as she took his latte from his hands and took a sip of it from the other side of the cup. He narrowed his eyes at her, silently telling her to get her own.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ezra said as he walked over to the table and stole a piece of Adriana's apple fritter from where it was sitting on a plate, untouched.

She shrugged, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. "I mean that you pay for almost everything that you both actually use. Like the apartment and the bills. I know she covers her own gas and whatnot, but-"

"But nothing," Ezra said. There was an edge to his voice, which told Adriana she'd crossed a line.

"Look, I'm not cutting her down, Ezra. I love her just as much as you do, and she's great. I was just making an observation," she said.

Ezra nodded curtly. "Maybe so, but she gave up everything she's known for her entire life so that we could be together, and she's pretty much lost her father because of it. I'm not going to sit back and complain about where my money is going because I decided to be with her. I picked her, and I don't want anyone else."

He walked out of the room a moment later and headed up the stairs to the second floor. He made his way to the bedroom, where Aria was digging through the bags on the floor.

"You're awake," he observed.

Aria nodded, running a hand through her tangled hair. "I figured I couldn't sleep all day. It **is **Thanksgiving, after all."

Ezra nodded, walking over to where she was and snatched a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt from the bag.

"Is something wrong?" Aria asked as she stood up. She settled a pair of jeans on the end of the bed along with a black and midnight blue long-sleeved shirt.

Ezra shook his head, pulling his shirt over his head. "Just sibling disagreements. I'm fine."

Aria's brow furrowed as she pulled her own shirt over her head. "You and Adriana don't fight. Like ever."

Ezra sighed, frustrated. "She just said something that I didn't agree with and I'm kind of annoyed with her about it." He looked over at her as he removed his pajama pants and grabbed his jeans. "It's just a tiff. We're not the kind of siblings who constantly bicker."

Aria nodded, but there was a frown on her face as she finished getting dressed. Once Ezra was dressed himself, he walked over to her. He perched on the edge of the bed, holding her hands. "What's upsetting you?"

Aria shrugged. "It's just sucky. The first holiday in months with no drama, and drama ensues anyway."

Ezra shook his head, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "No drama today, I promise. My sister and I will play nice, and be five different kinds of good."

Aria chuckled, shaking her head. "You're an idiot."

"At least I'm not a single idiot," he retorted with a smile.

_-  
>I'm not gonna stop feeling, I'm not gonna forget it<br>__I don't wanna start over and I don't want to pretend  
>-<em>

The morning passed a bit more stiffly as Ezra and Adriana skirted around their argument for Aria's sake. The meal itself was quiet as the tension seemed to hang over them like a cloud waiting to drop a bucket of rain.

After the meal, Hardy and Adriana headed out to his parents house while Aria and Ezra helped Serena to clean up the kitchen and pack leftovers into several dozen dishes.

Ezra snatched a slice of turkey from an open Tupperware bowl and chewed it. Aria chuckled as she placed a cover on the bowl and pressed it down before walking over to the fridge and placed it inside.

She walked over to him and grabbed a devilled egg from the tray beside him and popped it into her mouth. Ezra smiled at her. "Wanna go hang out in the bathroom?"

Aria fell into a fit of laughter, shaking her head at the mention of how their first date had ended. Ezra shook his head at her, but he was laughing as well. She stood back up straight and wrapped her arms around his neck before pushing up onto her tip toes and kissing his cheek.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Didn't you just?" He teased. Aria rolled her eyes. "Yes, baby."

She tightened her grip around his neck as he hoisted her up onto the counter top so that they were on the same eye level. Aria brushed her fingers through his fringe. "Are you sure it's okay that I'm here with you guys? I mean it's Thanksgiving-"

Ezra's cheerfulness drained from his face as his features hardened. "Aria. There is not a single family event that we would exclude you from. My mother loves you as much as I do, and I think it's pretty clear what my sister thinks of you."

He curled his hands under the back of her calves and pulled her forward just the slightest. "You belong here just as much as I do. And I wouldn't have wanted this weekend any other way."

She smiled and leaned forward, brushing her nose up against his. Ezra tugged lightly on her hair, tilting her head back in the slightest and kissing her.

"Oh, Mr. Fitz," she said teasingly as she brushed her lips against his. "I can play rough too."

They both laughed at her comment, and Ezra shook his head, resting it on her shoulder.

"I just can't be that serious about it when you make comments like that," he laughed.

"Oh, this coming from the man who says I make his sex drive insatiable," she teased.

Ezra shook his head at her and chuckled.

The rest of the early afternoon passed lazily. Aria and Ezra curled up on the couch with him leaning against her while his feet dangled over the edge, and her arm wrapped around his chest. Her fingers moved absentmindedly against his shirt as they both read. He was currently reading Hemingway while she was reading the first book in the _Uglies_ series, for leisure.

They spent the better half of an hour doing that, before the door opened, and cold air blew through the house, alerting them that Hardy and Adriana were back.

Ezra looked up at his best friend, closing his book. "You seem just a _little _too happy."

Hardy shrugged. "They finally said they're going to separate. Why wouldn't that make me happy? They act like they want to tear each other's eyes out."

Ezra chuckled. "Well good for you then. I'm glad."

Aria closed her book and settled it on the coffee table, removing her arm from around Ezra. "I'm gonna go get my boots and coat."

Ezra got up and followed her out of the room. He popped in by Serena long enough to alert her that they were heading out for a few hours before they headed out of the house.

Snow was coming down in flurries as they made their way down the steps an across the yard to Ezra's jeep. Once they were settled inside of it, he turned the heat up as high as it would go, and Aria configured the directions on the GPS app on her phone before they pulled out of the driveway. As was his innate reaction, once they were on the road, Ezra's hand found it's way to resting on her thigh as they drove.

Aria fiddled with the radio for a few moments before settling on a station. She looked over at Ezra as she reached over to brush her fingers through his hair. He looked over at her and smiled.

"What're you thinking about?" She asked.

Ezra shrugged. "That I don't want to get punched again."

"That won't happen," Aria said. "My mother knows that if that happened, it would just make things worse."

The rest of the drive was quiet, save for the radio to fill the empty spaces. They arrived at her grandparents home a little under half an hour later, and Ezra parked the jeep behind Ella's car before they got out and headed up towards the house.

As they came to stand in front of the house, she squeezed his hand gently before lifting her hand to knock. Her hand was frozen in mid-air as the door flew open, and tiny arms wrapped around her legs. She looked over at Ezra with slight surprise, and she chuckled before looking down at the face of the child currently attached to her.

"Aria!" Ella's voice called cheerfully as she came to stand in the doorway, holding a baby. "C'mon Savannah, it's freezing out there."

Aria leaned down and picked up the toddler before stepping inside the house.

"Savannah you were supposed to stay small!" She chided the three year old jokingly. She settled her on the ground as soon as they were in the house so that she could remove her coat, hat, and gloves. She had just barely tucked them into a pocket before one of her aunts took the coat from her and headed off in some other direction to put it with the others.

If there was any idea that it would be a quiet affair with her grandparents, Aria knew that she'd have been crazy to think that. Her mother was one of five; three brothers, and two sisters. She was the middle child, with a sister who was nearly ten years younger than her. Callie, the baby her mother was holding, and Savannah, the toddler who had her arms once again wrapped around Aria's legs, were both her youngest aunt's children. She had tried for years to have kids, and had pretty much given up on having kids when she and her husband adopted Savannah from a fifteen year old girl. It was a few months after that, that she got pregnant with Callie. Given that she'd had miscarriages in the past, there was little to no hope that she would make it past her first trimester, but once she had, she'd done everything humanly possible to make sure her baby made it into the world.

Aria rubbed her nose against Savannah's and chuckled as the little girl squirmed in her arms, giggling. Savannah looked up at Ezra and squinted her eyes shut as she smiled at him. "Who're you?" She asked.

"I'm Ezra," he told her as she traced her finger over the zipper on his sweater. Kids were so easily amused.

"I'm glad you joined us," Ella said to him as they headed further into the house.

As they stepped into the family room, it was as if the madness erupted. Kids ranging from just a few months old to well into their early twenties were settled around the room, talking and chattering about this and that. At least half a dozen of her cousins who hadn't already noticed her quickly realized she was there and shot up from their seats to greet her.

The next hour passed in a blur of greetings and introductions as she made her way through the house with Ezra. Dinner wouldn't be set out until after five, and it was only nearing four thirty as she finally made her way back to the family room to find Ezra in the midst of a heavy conversation with her cousin Zack.

Zack was the same age as Ezra, in school for a doctorate in computer science. Aria crossed the room, stepping over various toys as she finally reached Ezra and Zack. She settled onto Ezra's lap, and his fingers innately brushed up her back.

"Aria!" Zack said cheerfully. She leaned forward and hugged him, before letting him continue with the story he had been telling Ezra.

She looked around the room at her cousins. The few who were older than her or closer to her age were scattered about the room, but she could see that only three of them had brought their significant others. Zack's girlfriend was in the kitchen, nearly elbow-deep in trying to help her aunt with finishing up on devilled eggs, but with as many people as there were in the house, they'd had to hard boil more than four dozen eggs.

As she looked around the room, a part of her wondered how she had ever been able to think about giving all of this up. One of the things she loved most about her family was that it was so big, but she hadn't even thought of all her cousins when she had gone forward with her emancipation. And she had been grateful to see that none of her aunts and uncles said anything to she and Ezra, though she had seen the apprehension and trepidation in a few of their eyes.

A short while later, one of her aunts came into the room and announced that they would be serving dinner, and for the kids to head into the kitchen, which essentially meant that anyone younger than Aria made their way out of the room towards the kitchen. Once all the kids had been served and made their way into the area in the dining room set up for them, everyone else made their way into the kitchen.

It was a large, open room, not unlike Serena's kitchen. There was a large island in the middle of the room in which the stove was located, and plenty of work space. Food was located on both the surrounding counters as well as the island, and there was a silent rule among her family members that anything you just couldn't live without eating, you had better grab first, because in a house filled with more than thirty people, it was going to go fast. Aria was quick to grab some of her grandmother's potato salad, the fruit salad her mother had made, and her aunt's stuffing.

She was reaching the end of the line and nearly tripped, but Ezra was smart enough to have his arm wrapped loosely around her waist. It tightened as she had started to slip forward, and the man in front of her turned, surprised by the light shove he'd received from her almost falling.

"Aria! I haven't seen you in months!"

She looked up from her plate as she settled it on the counter as to not lose any of her food. A smile spread across her face. "Uncle Mike!"

He settled his own plate on the counter, and the two embraced quickly before finishing filling their plates and heading out of the kitchen, making small talk as they headed into the large dining room. Aria was directed to a chair on her mother's right. There was an open space for Ezra on her own right, and beside that chair, her uncle sat down.

Voices boomed throughout the room as the room filled to capacity with all her family members. Her attention was pulled constantly into at least three different directions. Each of her aunts and uncles conversed with her, asking about how her life was going and what her plans were for college. She could see that her grandparents were very pleased when she announced she'd be attending college at NYU.

She was most pleased to see how easily Ezra fit into place there with her. When she wasn't being pulled into a different conversation by one family member or another, she found herself, watching as he talked with one of her cousins or uncles about teaching at Hollis. Even so, his left hand never moved from where it rested on the base of her back, just as hers stayed resting on his thigh.

When dinner had been finished and sufficient time had passed so as to not make anyone sick from over eating, her mother joined her grandmother and her aunts in the kitchen to retrieve the pies and other various deserts that had been made or bought. The process of getting food repeated as the youngest were served first, and then in small groups of five or six, her family made their way into the kitchen, heaping their plates with the sweets that only came during the holidays.

She joined Ezra, her mother, and two of her uncles in the kitchen about mid-way through the crowd of people, and tugged Ezra along with her, pointing out what he absolutely had to try, and what he should avoid. She was sure to grab herself a slice of her mother's cheesecake, and two peanut butter brownies that her uncle had made, along with a small slice of French silk pie. She almost had to circle the island a second time though as she searched for the one thing she wouldn't leave the kitchen without.

In her younger days, her grandmother had been a chef at a restaurant called the Lighthouse. The place was still open, but since she had retired, she didn't do much major cooking or baking besides the holidays. Still, for as long as Aria could remember, she hadn't seen a single thanksgiving go by without having a slice of her black forest cake.

She spotted the tray as her uncle hovered over it like a vulture, and quickly circled back. It was like two people diving in slow motion as they both moved for the spatula, and then playfully slapped each other's hands, trying to get at the last slice.

"I live for this every year!" He said to her as she pushed his hand aside and reached for the spatula.

Aria pushed his hand aside, just barely getting her fingers on it before he pushed it aside. "So do I!"

"I've lived for it longer than you," he told her. "So I need it more."

"You've **had **it more," she reminded him.

"Girls, girls!" Her mother laughed. They both looked up. "Split it."

The pout that they both made was priceless, and it took Aria a few moments to realize that someone had snapped a photo of them. Resolving to be the adult in the situation, her uncle split the slice evenly and then placed a piece on Aria's plate before taking the final bit for himself.

"You know, I took a slice before," Ezra told her as they walked into the kitchen. "If you wanted one so bad, I would've given you mine."

Aria's eyes grew wide as she settled her plate on the table. She quickly scraped the slice off his plate and onto hers, but her uncle's eyes were keen, and he spotted her.

"Cheating!" He called at her. "That's not sharing fairly!"

Laughter was vibrant among her family members. This was the first time there had been an argument over food in the Rose home. Quite opposite, it was almost a regular occurrence at each separate holiday get-together.

"Oh Michael, have my piece," his wife insisted as she pushed her slice onto his plate. He stuck his tongue out at Aria, and she returned the gesture before sitting down finally next to Ezra.

Chatter resumed amongst her family members as they made their way through the deserts resting on their plates. As she had always done, Aria made sure she'd eaten all her other deserts before touching her black forest cake.

Slowly but surely after the deserts were finished up and the sun fell from the sky, her family members trickled out of the house. It started with her aunt wanting to get her kids home to bed, and having to make the drive back to Philadelphia. Her eldest uncle followed after that, until slowly but surely, the only people who remained at the table besides she and Ezra were her grandparents, her mother, her uncle Mike, and his wife. Their kids, both of grade-school age, were in the family room playing video games.

Aria yawned as she leaned back in her chair, watching the snow continue to come down outside. The flurries had turned into an actual snow storm, which looked as if it was going to continue for a while.

Aria looked over at Ezra as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"The snow is going to get worse, so we should go," he told her as he tapped a message on his phone.

Aria nodded, pushing back from the table. Ella headed out of the room to retrieve their coats, and Aria's grandmother led her into the kitchen, where she handed her a myriad of leftovers.

She opened the fridge and retrieved a small tray, placing it on top of the bowl she was holding. "Don't tell your uncle. I was hiding this for you."

Aria chuckled. She settled the food on the counter and embraced her grandmother. "I'm glad we got to come to this," she said.

"Me too," her grandmother said, returning the hug.

As they pulled apart, Aria looked up at her grandmother. "So…you're not mad about the choices I made?"

Her grandmother took a deep breath, considering her words for a moment. "Whether I was or not, I don't have to agree with every choice you make to love you, Aria Rose." She smiled, brushing a knuckle against Aria's cheek. "After all, you're our namesake. Named after my mother, and your middle name is our surname.

Aria smiled, picking up the food from the counter. "Thanks, Grams."

She returned to the dining room and took her jacket from her mother before pulling it on and hugging her mother. She hugged her aunt and uncle before retrieving the leftovers off the table and following Ezra out of the house.

_-  
>I melt every time you look at me that way<br>__It never fails, any time, any place  
>-<em>

Aria rubbed her eyes as she picked up her cup of coffee and took a drink from it. There were brownies sitting in the middle of the table that she, Ezra, Hardy, and Adriana had been picking at for the better half of the evening. She and Ezra were heavily immersed in writing while Adriana had one of her textbooks open, and Hardy was grading papers.

She yawned before dropping her pen into the spine of her journal and looking up at Ezra. "I think I'm going to go to bed. Caffeine isn't doing anything for me at this point."

He looked up at her and nodded before leaning over to kiss her. "I'll be up in a little while."

Aria nodded and kissed him once more before pushing up from her seat and making her way through the house, upstairs to the bedroom. Once inside, she changed out of the clothes she'd been in all day and pulled on a pair of sweats and a clean t-shirt before grabbing her toothbrush and paste before heading out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.

She turned the light on and walked over to the sink before putting the paste on her toothbrush and beginning the process of brushing her teeth.

When she was roughly half-finished, Adriana walked into the room with her own toothbrush. The only sounds in the room were running water and the movement of their toothbrushes ever several minutes.

When Aria finished, she rinsed her mouth out and rinsed off her toothbrush before wiping it gently on the hand towel settled nearby before heading out of the room.

She made her way into the bedroom and settled the toothbrush and toothpaste in her bag before grabbing her book from the end of the bed. She slipped under the blankets and then turned it open and began to read.

"Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

She looked up as Adriana came around the doorway. Aria nodded. "Sure."

"You seem upset," Adriana said. "I thought maybe it was because of something I said."

Aria shook her head, closing her book as she pulled her legs up under her pretzel-crossing them. "No. But I **do **know Ezra is upset with you about something, and that kind of bothered me. I hate the idea of two people not getting along during what's supposed to be a family holiday."

Adriana nodded. She pressed her lips together for a moment, considering her next words before she walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "That's my fault. This morning before you got up, we were talking, and I made a comment about an observation that had to do with you. I-"

"What'd you say?" Aria asked.

Adriana took a deep breath. "I said that Ezra pays for a lot of the things that you both use."

Aria's expression shifted in the slightest, and it was clear that Adriana's view of her hurt, regardless of how much she let it show.

"Look," Adriana said quickly. "I didn't mean it to be something to hurt you. But what I know is that I see my brother desperately in love with this girl, and she's got it pretty good. I know you guys are in a good place now, but there was a point and time when, quite honestly, I was upset with you. He was getting hurt, and wasn't sure you were going to stay with him. I just…"

She shook her head, knowing that what she wanted to say wasn't coming out right. "I know you're still close with your brother, so… I mean if it was him?"

Aria considered her words for a few moments before she nodded. She knew for a fact that if Mike were in the position Ezra was in with her, she'd be worried about him getting hurt, regardless of how much she liked the girl.

"I promise you, I'm not like Jackie," Aria said.

Adriana nodded, smiling. "I know you're not. I just want the best for you guys, and I can't help but want to look out for my brother. And I promise, it has nothing to do with how much I love you."

Aria chuckled. "Good. Or I'd have to start giving out new friend applications. And they'd have a lot of requirements to meet, so you don't want me doing that."

"You just need to be a Fitz already," Adriana said, giggling.

A light blush filled Aria's cheeks at Adriana's. For months, that was all she had wanted, but for the first time in almost a year, she was happy just to be a Rose. The events of the day had made her glad she had her family in her life, and grateful that they were forgiving of her past choices.

"One day," she said. "It's pretty good being a part of my family right now."


	14. Can't Shake You Off Of Me

_Chapter 14_

_I Can't Shake You Off Of Me_

Christmas was coming fast, and it was apparently coming too fast for most of Rosewood. Aria's hours at her job nearly doubled in the weeks following Thanksgiving. People were rushing into buy everything they had, and finding themselves even more frustrated when they were turned away on a particular item. There was a specific brand name sweater that had sold out in the first week of December, and she had proceeded to have people growling at her for the week after that over the fact that there weren't more coming in until just before Christmas.

If that wasn't bad enough, her teachers were piling on the work load as well, to cram in as much before Christmas break. The common knowledge that a seniors second semester was a lazy semester didn't do anything to help, because her teachers wanted to be sure they covered the most Important information before that happened.

In the midst of it all, she was running herself ragged, running on fumes and caffeine to make it through her days.

"You gonna finish your dinner or just wear it?"

Aria lifted her head up off her pillow and yawned as she moved the Chinese food container from beside her, onto the nightstand. She sat up and grabbed her textbook, looking down at the page she'd been reading.

Ezra turned his wrist and looked at his the time on his watch before grabbing her textbook out of her lap and flipping it shut. "Nope. It's nine o'clock. You're done for the night."

"Ezra-"

"No," he said more insistently as he settled the book on the nightstand beside him. He leaned forward and brushed her hair off her cheek. His brow furrowed has he brushed his fingers over her cheek once more. "You're running a fever."

"I'm just hot," she said insistently, reaching for her textbook once more.

"No," he drawled, grabbing her hand. He moved his other hand to her forehead and then leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. "No, you're definitely running a fever."

Aria sighed, and a pout planted firmly on her face, but it did nothing to change his stance on keeping her from touching her textbook.

"You need to rest," he exclaimed. "And if you keep fighting me on this, I'll call your mother."

Aria scowled at him, clearly not pleased. "You're my boyfriend, not my superior."

"And you're being childish." He pointed to her pillow. "Rest."

Aria huffed and dropped against her pillow, crossing her arms over her chest. Ezra turned his attention back to the TV, continuing to make his way through the late dinner they had ordered. He reached over, never taking his eyes off the screen as he snatched her phone from her hands when she tried to text someone.

"Hey!" She whined. "I was just telling Adriana I was going to sleep."

Ezra looked down at the screen. She was texting Spencer about studying. "Liar. **Sleep**."

Aria turned over on her pillow, and even if she was angry with him, it didn't last long, as she quickly fell asleep.

Once Ezra was finished eating, he picked up the left-over containers that had food in them, and walked to the kitchen to put them into the fridge. He returned to the bedroom afterwards and placed Aria's textbook into her bag. As he knelt down to open up her schoolbag, she groaned and opened her eyes.

He looked up at her, brushing her hair out of her face. She seemed warmer than she had been just forty or so minutes before. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I feel sick. And dizzy."

"Like you're going to puke?" He asked.

Aria nodded, pushing herself up slowly.

Ezra wrapped his arms under her and lifted her up off the bed before carrying her out of the room and across the sitting room to the bathroom. He settled her down gently next to the toilet, and barely had enough time to turn the light on before Aria began to retch.

He knelt beside her and pulled her hair out of her face, holding it back while his other hand rubbed soothing circles up and down her back. Aria gripped the toilet as her dinner made its reappearance. He stayed beside her until she managed to stop vomiting, and then stood to grab a cup. He filled it with water and then knelt down beside her and handed it to her. Aria rinsed her mouth out and then took a few sips after flushing the toilet.

"Feeling a bit better?" Ezra asked.

Aria nodded. "Back to bed."

Ezra nodded and lifted her up into his arms once more. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. Her face was hot against his cool skin, and it worried him. He'd seen her sick before, but he'd never actually had to care for a sick person on his own. More than that, he'd never actually seen her **this **sick. When they had shared the flu last year, they had both been reaching the end of it when they had returned to school.

He settled her on the bed and then walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with water before going into the bathroom in search of fever reducer. He found some and then returned to their bedroom.

He filled the small plastic medicine cup that came with the liquid medication with the proper amount for someone of Aria's age and weight, and then handed it to her. She grimaced as she tossed it back and swallowed it quickly, before she took the glass of water from him and took small sips from it until she'd drank about half the glass.

Weary, she laid back down, and Ezra finished picking up the room and got a bucket for Aria before he changed out of his day clothes into a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt.

He laid down next to Aria and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his hand up and down her back as she rested against him. She was so warm that she was sweating, which only served to make him more nervous.

Not even half an hour later, she awoke again, and barely had enough time to roll over on the bed before she threw up again. Ezra pulled her hair off her neck once more and shook his head. Once she settled back on the bed, he pulled the blankets up tighter around her shivering frame and walked out of the room, grabbing his phone as he did. He checked the time.

It was almost 11 PM, but he didn't know what else to do.

He walked into the bathroom to retrieve the thermometer before lifting his phone to his ear. It rang as he walked back to the bedroom and turned on the thermometer. He usually wasn't one to spend so much money on things he rarely used, but temporal thermometers were supposed to be the best thing to use for taking temperatures.

He brushed it across Aria's forehead and then watched the LED screen as he waited for the other end of the phone to pick up. The screen lit up in a teal shade. 104.1

"_Hello?" _Her voice was groggy over the other end of the phone, and a part of him hoped that she was just tired and hadn't actually been sleeping. _"Ezra, why would you call me at this time?"  
><em>

"Aria's really sick," he replied. "She's got a really high fever."

"_Alright. I'll be right there." _The line clicked dead a moment later, and Ezra sighed, turning the thermometer off. One part of him thought about how it wouldn't be very good if he caught Aria's flu, but the better half of him was worried about his girlfriend.

He walked back to the bathroom to replace the thermometer, and then grabbed a wash cloth and wetted it with cool water before he returned to the bedroom and perched on the edge of the bed. He gently wiped Aria's face off before settling the cool cloth on her forehead. She whimpered in her fitful sleep as she shivered.

He looked up a minute later as lights streamed through the blinds across the room.

Ezra moved off the bed and walked out of the room, down the short hallway to the front door. He opened it before Ella had even made it up the walkway.

She looked as tired as he felt, and was dressed in sweats.

"What's her fever at?" She asked as she stepped inside the house.

"A hundred and four," Ezra replied, shutting the door and tucking his hands into his pockets. "I wouldn't have called, but she threw up earlier, and then I gave her fever reducer and water, and she threw that up too."

Ella nodded, removing her jacket. "The girl has never taken sickness easily. But then I gather you know that."

Ezra nodded, leading her into the bedroom. Ella crossed the floor and walked over to Aria. She rested the back of her hand against Aria's head. "When did this come on?"

"As far as I know, earlier this evening." He explained. "She was fine when she went to school this morning."

Aria coughed wetly in her sleep, and Ella moved her hand to Aria's back, rubbing it gently. She nodded.

"There's a nasty flu going around right now. You'd do well to not catch it from her."

"I'm not really worried about me right now," he said honestly.

Ella leaned down and pressed her lips to Aria's forehead before standing up. "I'd definitely say she should stay home tomorrow, and maybe even Friday. Just make her take the weekend, because if you let her think she's got the option to go to school, she'll go. And make sure you've got crackers. It's one thing that she seems to always be able to keep in, regardless of how sick she is. It helps her with keeping water in, too."

Ezra nodded, filing everything she was telling him to memory. "Thanks, for coming this late. I wouldn't have called…"

Ella shook her head. "I really don't mind, Ezra. She's my daughter, and she's ill. If she tries to fight you in the morning, have her call me, and I'll give her a good talking-to."

Ezra chuckled, and Ella smiled. He couldn't help but be silently grateful that they seemed to have Ella on their side now. She made certain battles with Aria a lot easier.

_-  
>I don't wanna mess this thing up<br>__I don't wanna push too far  
>-<em>

Aria awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache. Her stomach didn't feel much better, but it was the first time since the night before that she didn't wake up because she was going to vomit. She exhaled a heavy sigh as she looked around the room. The curtains were still closed, blocking out all the light.

She pushed the blankets back and swung her legs over the side of the bed, bringing her hand up to her feverish forehead as the room spun around her. She waited for the worst of the dizziness to pass before she moved off the bed and walked out of the room. She walked across the sitting room to the bathroom and turned on the light before using the facilities.

Once she was finished, she stood in front of the mirror and turned the faucet on to wash her hands. Afterwards, she grabbed a washcloth and wetted it before rubbing it over her face and neck. As ill as she felt, the cool cloth felt good on her hot skin.

She settled it back on the side of the sink after turning the faucet off and then turned the light off as she walked out of the room. She walked over to the dining room table, where there was a box of crackers and a bottle of Gatorade next to it. There was a small note taped to the front of the box.

_**Had to go into work for a few hours.  
><strong>__**Your mom said crackers help?  
><strong>__**Call me if you start feeling worse.  
><strong>__**Xoxo, Ezra**_

She smiled at the note and grabbed the box of crackers and the Gatorade before walking back to the bedroom. She closed the door and then walked over to the bed and placed both things on the nightstand before crawling back into the bed and snuggling under the comforts of the blankets. She closed her eyes, easily coming to the realization that her head didn't hurt quite as badly when her eyes were closed.

She knew she must've dozed off at some point, because she was awoken when the door opened. She peeled the blankets back and looked up to see Ezra. He looked as tired as she felt.

"Hey," he murmured, settling his bag at the end of the bed.

She smiled wearily at him. "Hey. Tired?"

He nodded. "I was worried about you last night. Didn't sleep very much."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "Are you done already for the day?"

Ezra nodded, kicking his pants to the side and grabbing a pair of flannel pajama pants from one of the dresser drawers before he removed his vest and dress shirt as well, leaving him in just a black t-shirt. "I figured I could grade from home."

He sat down on the bed, and brushed a hand across Aria's forehead, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "How're you feeling?"

She shrugged. "Crappy. Still tired."

Ezra smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Shall we nap?"

"Yes," she replied, nuzzling her face into his chest. "We shall."

He brushed his fingers up and down against her forearm lazily as they rested. It didn't take long for Aria to fall asleep again, and he wasn't at all surprised. She'd been working herself much too hard in the past few weeks, which had been one of the reasons that he'd been limiting how late she could study. He understood that she didn't want to fail on her tests, but he was also aware of the fact that she was incredibly smart all on her own, and that she could do just about anything she set her mind to without killing herself in the process.

It wasn't long after she fell asleep that he managed to doze off, and he didn't wake until the sound of something breaking on the floor disturbed his slumber.

As he rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes, he looked around the room. It was dimly it by the TV, but Aria wasn't in the room.

Ezra moved off the bed and walked out of into the sitting room and then into the kitchen. There was a bowl on the floor surrounded by what he assumed had been chicken noodle soup, and Aria was curled over the trashcan, shaking as she heaved into it.

He slipped his hand under her shirt, rubbing slow circles on her upper back as she struggled to catch her breath. When she managed to stop getting sick, she stood up and wiped her mouth.

"Sorry for waking you," she murmured, wiping the corners of her mouth. "I was just going to get soup, but I took one sip, and…" She shook her head.

Ezra nodded, pressing his lips to her forehead. She was still quite warm. "Go lie down. I'll get this cleaned up."

"Are you sure?" She asked. She looked genuinely apologetic. Ezra nodded and stepped around the mess on the floor to grab the roll of paper toweling on the counter.

Aria headed back to the bedroom and he quickly wiped up the mess before wetting a few tissues and wiping up where the puddle had been with soapy water so that the floor didn't become sticky. Afterwards, he filled two glasses with water before heading back to the bedroom. He gave one to Aria, and kept the other for himself.

"What time is it?" He asked as he settled on the bed next to her.

"Almost eight," she replied. "You slept so long, I was beginning to wonder if **you **were the one who was sick."

Ezra chuckled and shook his head. "I just didn't get very much sleep last night."

_-  
>Nothing but emptiness inside; love leaves a black hole when it dies<br>__How can I ever love again, I've come undone, undone, undone  
>-<em>

The weekend came and passed in a similar fashion. Aria's fever finally broke by Saturday afternoon, though Ezra was wary to let her have her textbooks back, even though she had two days of homework to catch up on. He realized later that the adult in him was probably a bit more strict than he needed to be when he told her that she needed to not put so much pressure on herself.

Monday morning, Aria returned to school with every bit of homework there had been over the weekend. She was still slightly stuffed up, but she was happy to be back among her peers.

Her day passed effortlessly, though she was back to putting pressure on herself. She was pretty sure that in the past few weeks, her note-taking and studying had surpassed even Spencer's diligence. Even so, by the end of the day, she was happy that she didn't have to work.

She yawned as she stepped into Ella's classroom. Ella looked up from the test she was grading and picked up a blank one off the end of the desk. "You ready?"

Aria nodded, walking over to her mother. She took the blank test and walked over to her seat. She settled her bag against the leg of her seat and pulled a pencil from it before scribbling her name across the top.

"You've got thirty minutes," Ella told her. "Go ahead and start."

Aria went to work on the test, and was done within fifteen minutes, even though it included a full-page essay explaining the primary character's internal conflict and how that affect the resolution of the book. She read over her answers twice, only making minor changes. When Ella finally alerted her that her time was up, she resigned to the fact that if there was anything she'd gotten wrong, there was no way to fix it now.

She brushed a hand through her hair as she tucked her pencil back into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. Her screen lit up, and she tapped in the unlock code before the text message popped up on her screen.

**Is Ezra okay? **  
><strong>-Hardy<strong>

Aria's brow furrowed, confused.

"Is something wrong?" Ella asked.

Aria shrugged, tapping the green button on the screen of her phone and lifting it to her ear. "I don't know."

The phone rang several times before it clicked over.

_"Hey, are you with him?"_

"No," Aria drawled. She coughed and grabbed a tissue from Ella's desk. "What do you mean, is he okay?"

_"No one called you?"_ Hardy asked._ "I thought your father would've at least…"_

Aria sighed. "Why would he call me? He hates me."

_"Sorry, sorry. He went home at like nine this morning."_

"Why?" She drawled once more. "What part of I don't know where he is did you miss?"

_"He hit his head on the corner of his desk."_

"What!? Why didn't anyone call me!?" She growled into her phone. She could see that Ella was confused by her current conversation.

_"It was just a scrape. He didn't need stitches, but the dean sent him home. I thought he would've called you."_

Aria sighed, shaking her head. "Well he didn't. I'll call you when I get home."

_"Alright. Drive safe. It's snowing again."_

"Yep," Aria replied. She pulled her phone away from her ear. She looked up at her mother. "Ezra went home after hitting his head, and apparently no one thought it was important to call me."

Ella's eyebrows raised in surprise. She couldn't help but feel just a little surprised herself that Aria hadn't received any kind of call.

Aria tapped a few things on the screen of her phone and looked back up at her mother. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She walked out of the room with her phone against her ear once more, and walked to her locker to collect her jacket. The phone rang repeatedly until it clicked over to voicemail. Frustrated, she tucked her phone into her bag and then pulled on her coat and her hat.

_-_  
><em>I beg you, release me,<em>  
><em>Go home, cause she's probably up waiting<em>  
><em>-<em>

Aria coughed as she pushed the front door open. The cold air burned her throat, and she was grateful to be inside as she stepped across the doorway. She closed the door behind her, calling Ezra's name as she wiped her boots on the small rug in front of the door.

Once most of the snow had sloughed off, she stepped off of it and headed into the apartment. She kicked her shoes off near the bedroom door and then walked over to the table and settled her schoolbag on a chair before removing her coat and settling it on a chair.

She walked over to the bedroom and popped her head inside the open doorway, but the bed was empty, though the blankets were rustled.

She huffed and turned in her spot, looking around the room. The bathroom door was ajar, and the light was on. She crossed the room curiously, and pushed the door open further. Ezra was curled up on the floor.

"Ezra!?" She knelt down and shook his shoulder lightly. He groaned and lifted his head from where it was resting on his arms and looked up at her. A moment later, his eyes grew wide and he shoved up off the floor and curled over the toilet.

Aria frowned, shaking her head as she knelt down next to him. She rubbed her hand up and down his back until he managed to stop getting sick.

Ezra rested his head on his forearms, exhaling heaving breaths.

"Why didn't you call me when they sent you home?" She asked as she brushed his hair off the side of his face. The 'scrape' that Hardy had referred to might not have warranted stitches, but it was bruised and had clearly bled more than just a few drops.

"You were out last week," he rasped. "And when they sent me home, I was just a little light-headed."

Aria shook her head, resting the back of her hand against his forehead. "I didn't mean to get you sick."

He looked up at her and shook his head. "You don't know that this is from you. I could've caught this off a door handle."

Aria chuckled and shook her head at him. "If you say so." She reached up and hit the flusher on the toilet and then stood up. "C'mon. The bed is a lot more comfortable than the floor."

Ezra looked up at her, and then down at her hands. "Right. Like you could lift me," he laughed.

Aria widened her eyes at him in a glare, though there was a smirk on his face as well. Ezra took her hands and stood. The room spun around him as he wavered on his feet for moment. He closed his eyes and waited for the spinning to slow before he opened them again and followed Aria out of the room and across the sitting room to their bedroom.

Once inside the bedroom, Ezra removed his pants and dress shirt before changing into a pair of pajama pants and a long-sleeved thermal shirt.

Aria changed as well, and once they were both dressed into pajamas, she grabbed her things from the sitting room and retrieved a bucket for Ezra before returning to the bedroom. She settled it next to him, and chuckled as she realized he was already asleep. Given that she'd had the same flu for most of the week before, she understood how exhausted he was.

She walked around the bed and settled in the spot next to him before retrieving her calculus book from her bag and opening it.

She spent the next few hours working through her homework, occasionally looking up when Ezra turned over or whimpered in discomfort.

When she was finished with her homework, she settled her bag beside the bed and then grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand. She brought up her messages.

**I know Ezra's sick.**  
><strong>Can I bring dinner?<strong>  
><strong>-Addy<strong>

Aria checked the timestamp on the message; it had only been sent ten minutes earlier. She replied with a yes and then moved out of the bed and grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas before walking out of the room and across to the bathroom.

She was quick about getting into the shower and washing up. By the time she was finished and had gotten dressed, she could hear her phone buzzing on top of a towel in the linen closet.

She grabbed it off the towel and slid the arrow across the screen bore lifting it to her ear. "Hey. Are you here?"

_"Almost. It's snowing like crazy, so can you have the door unlocked?"_ Adriana asked.

"Yeah, no worries. Be careful."

"_Always am,_" Adriana replied. Their call ended a moment later, and Aria walked back to the bedroom to retrieve a pair of socks from the bedroom.

Ezra groaned as he turned into the stream of light from the next room and opened his eyes. "_Timeisit_?"

"Eight," she replied as she walked over to him. She sat down on the edge of the bed where he had curled away, leaving her about a foot of space. "Adriana and Hardy are bringing dinner. Do you want me to get you some soup?"

Ezra shook his head, reaching up onto the nightstand for a tissue. "Maybe later." His voice was gruff, and she could see that talking hurt. "Some chloroseptic spray would be nice, though."

Aria nodded. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. She walked around the bed and grabbed the bottle from where it had been left before walking back around the bed and handing it to Ezra.

"Anything else?" She asked.

Ezra shook his head again. "Go eat real food. You deserve to."

Aria giggled. "And you deserve to sleep."

She looked up as lights filtered through the blinds. "I'll close the door so you don't have to deal with the smell."

Ezra chuckled before groaning. "Thanks."

Aria moved off the bed and walked out of the room before walking over to the door and unlocking it. She walked back through the apartment to the kitchenette, and grabbed three glasses. She filled them with ice before returning to the sitting room. At the same time, the door opened and she could hear Hardy and Adriana talking.

"Your parents are splitting up. Why would they want to spend the holidays together?"

Aria giggled to herself as she listened to them bicker. They had been for weeks, and even though they were having the usual 'nothing fight', she and Hardy both knew it was because there had been very little talk about getting married. Adriana wanted a ring, and the longer she was being pushed to wait, the more frustrated she was getting.

"My siblings actually agreed to come home for Christmas," Hardy told her. "My parents want to put on a good front before they tell everyone else they're splitting up. And considering what it was like living with them while I was in high school, it's nice to see a change."

They came around the corner and Aria waved at them as she headed back into the kitchenette for plates. She walked back into the sitting room as Hardy began pulling food from the bags they'd brought in. As he looked up at Aria, a light smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"Crap. I forgot the soup we got for Ezra." He said.

Adriana sighed. "I'll go get it."

She walked out of the room and down the hall to the door. As soon as it closed, Aria leaned forward on the table.

"Are you **trying** to make her nuts? Christmas is two weeks away."

Hardy smiled at her and shook his head. "I'm just enjoying the ride, because I know the minute that girl's got a ring on her finger, she's gonna have the entire wedding planned. Don't be surprised when she tells you that we're getting married this summer- wait, no. This spring."

Aria giggled and shook her head. "You really think she'll want to get married that fast?"

Hardy's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Have you met Adriana?"

Aria laughed once more, taking a carton of rice from him. "I guess we better buckle up."


	15. Braids Have Been Untied As Ribbons Fall

_Chapter 15_

_Braids Have Been Untied As Ribbons Fall Away_

Aria looked up from her textbook at Ezra as she highlighted something on her notebook. He rubbed his eyes and yawned before tossing yet another paper into what was becoming a larger stack than the ones left ungraded.

"You sure you were okay to go back to work today?" She asked.

Ezra nodded, coughing to clear his throat. "It's just grading anyway. The year is over; we classes won't start again until 2012."

Aria smiled. She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair before closing her textbook and tossing it up onto the table. "So what'd you get me today?"

Ezra chuckled and shook his head. "You're just going to have to wait a few days like everyone else."

Aria scowled at him playfully and then sighed. "As I should. Besides, if you told me, I'd feel obligated to tell you what I got _you_, and that's just not any fun."

Ezra looked over at her curiously, and the coy smile on her face made him chuckle. "I'm just going to have to wait until Christmas morning."

Aria nodded, giggling to quietly. "Yes. Yes you are."

Ezra flipped shut the paper he was holding in his hands and sighed. "Alright, before we make ourselves nuts over gifts…What was ring shopping with Hardy like?"

Aria giggled again. "The sales guy thought we were together."

_Aria tipped her cup of coffee back and took a long sip from it. She had stopped at Retta's for the first time in months to get a up of her favourite brew before meeting Hardy at the train station. In the past few months, she'd forgotten just how good the coffee was that Loretta made. _

"_Is that stuff really that great?" Hardy asked as they stepped off the train. _

_Aria nodded. "They've got coffee that will make you never want to go to a corporate chain again."_

_Hardy raised an eyebrow at her. "You stopped at Starbucks this morning."_

_Aria shrugged. "It felt weird going to Retta's after basically getting fired. Here. Try." _

_She passed him the cup, and he looked at her and then the cup warily for a moment before taking a drink from it. She watched his expression as he swallowed the liquid. _

"_Okay, so it actually has something going for it," he said as he passed it back to her. _

_Aria chuckled and shook her head at him before taking another drink. It phased her for the slightest moment that in a really weird way, she had basically swapped spit with her best friend's boyfriend, who was also her boyfriend's best friend. But Hardy had become so much like a brother to her that it didn't really matter. _

_They walked out of the train station and started heading down the block. She already knew the jewelry store that they were headed to, given that she'd been the one to call them and ask about several of the rings that she and Hardy had looked at online. _

"_So do you think Ezra's going to pop the question any time soon?" He asked. _

_Aria nearly spit out her coffee as she choked on it. Hardy stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her. He chuckled as he waited for her. _

_Aria wiped her lip off and shook her head. "I'm not exactly sitting around waiting for a ring like Adriana. If and when Ezra asks, it'll be great, I'm sure; but at the moment, I'm not sitting here waiting for him to just suddenly ask. I'm not Adriana." _

_Hardy nodded. "That's true. If Adriana knew we were here, she'd already be in town, staking us out." _

_Aria giggled, nodding. "She totally would." _

_They continued to make small talk as they walked down the block and several streets over to the jewelry store. When they reached it, they walked into the building, where they were greeted with a wave of warmer air, and a man who's smile told Aria very quickly that he was determined to do whatever it took to make sure they left with some kind of jewelry. _

"_Hi, I'm Aria Montgomery," she said as they came to stand in front of the man. "I called about a couple of rings we'd seen on your website." _

_The man nodded. "Of course, Ms. Montgomery. I've pulled the selections you mentioned. Let me just get them for you and your fiancé." _

_Aria and Hardy looked at each other and then proceeded to fall into a fit of laughter at such a suggestion. When they managed to stop laughing, Aria finally looked up at the sales guy and made it clear that they weren't in fact together. _

_He headed into the back room and retrieved the rings that they had picked out, leaving Aria and Hardy standing in the store for a few minutes. Every time they looked at each other though, they couldn't help but start giggling again. _

_He returned to the room a few moments later carrying a small tray with the rings that they had picked out. They spent the next twenty minutes looking back and forth between four different rings, and then eventually narrowing them down to three, and then two, before spending another half hour debating over which ring to go with. _

_By the time the light had fallen out of the sky, leaving only the streetlights to guide their way back to the train station, they Aria had convinced Hardy to get the ring that she had initially picked out three days earlier on the jewelry store's website. _

"So you really think my sister is going to like the ring?" Ezra asked as he pulled the blankets back on his side of the bed. At the same time, Aria hopped up onto the bed and slipped her legs underneath the blankets.

Aria shrugged. "All I know is that if she hates it, I'm going to kick her."

Ezra chuckled. "I **so **want to be there when **that **happens."

"Anything else happen while you were gone?" He asked a few minutes later.

Aria shook her head, leaning back against her pillows. She reached up and turned the light off on her nightstand before moving down on the bed and looking over at Ezra. He rolled over and kissed her chastely before turning his own light off, leaving them lying in the darkness of the room.

"_Thanks for doing this with me," Hardy said as the train sped down the tracks. _

_Aria nodded, turning a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. She had a calculus test before Christmas vacation started, and she wanted to be able to get some studying done before the night was out. "Of course. Couldn't leave it to you to pick a ring." _

_Hardy chuckled, looking out the window at the cityscape they were speeding past. _

"_You ever want kids?" Aria asked, trying to fill the silence between them. _

_Hardy looked back at her and stared at her for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. And I'd like to hope that they have a better upbringing than my siblings and I had." _

_Aria smiled and nodded, looking down at her cup of coffee. She watched as steam coiled out of the cup. _

"_What about you?" Hardy asked. "Do you want kids?" _

_Aria nodded, looking back up at him. "Absolutely."  
><em>

_Hardy's eyebrows raised. "Always?"  
><em>

_Aria shrugged, looking out the window for a moment before she looked back at Hardy. "A little. But I saw how Ezra was with my cousins at Thanksgiving…" A smile pulled across her face. "I want those things with him."_

_Hardy nodded. Aria had turned to look back out the window, only to be surprised by his laughter a few seconds later. She looked back at him._

"_What's so funny?" She asked. _

_He shook his head, looking down at his watch. "I was just thinking about what the jeweler said to us."_

_Aria grinned, unable to contain the little bit of laughter that escaped her. "Yeah. That was…great."_

_Hardy nodded. "It just got me thinking."_

_"About what?" Aria asked curiously._

"_I just remember telling Ezra how much of an idiot he was for trying to make things work with you when we first met. I honestly never thought you two would make it this far because of who Ezra." He paused for a moment. "But honestly, if it was me in that bar instead of him, I would've done the same thing. The only difference is, when Ezra would've told me I was going to land myself in jail, I would've walked away." _

_Aria chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "Ezra and I tried to walk away. It didn't work." _

"_I know." _

_-  
>Who's to say we won't fade to grey<br>__And who are they anyway, anyway they don't know  
>-<em>

Aria swung her legs back and forth as she sat atop Ezra's desk. She had just finished wrapping presents for all of her friends, as well as Mike's present, and she was already exhausted at the sight of wrapping paper. The notion that the number of presents she would have to wrap could increase at any point in her life made her want to beat someone with the cardboard tubes that the wrapping paper came on.

Her day had passed effortlessly. Her calculus test had seemed a bit easier than she expected it to be, but she wasn't putting too much hope on passing it perfectly, given that there were some differentials she hadn't been quite sure about.

She flipped through the notebook she was holding, reading over her notes for her English class. She'd already finished the book that they were reading, and she knew that at some point there was going to be a test on it.

"Hey, Ezra-"

She looked up as Hardy stepped into the room for the briefest second, and then back down at her notebook. "He's not here. The dean called him down. Something to do with the teacher he helped get fired last year. The trial is coming up."

"Oh," Hardy replied.

Aria nodded, continuing to read over her notes. She only looked up a few minutes later when he hadn't left the room. "Something wrong?"

Hardy looked down at the watch on his wrist and sighed. "I just…I got the feeling that I may have given you the wrong impression the other day on the train. I wasn't saying that I wasn't happy with Adriana or that I wished things were different. It was more of a comment on the fact that he's got more wherewithal to make something last than I do."

Aria flipped her notebook shut and looked up at him. "You mean he did."

"What?"

Aria settled her notebook on the desk next to her, swinging her legs back and forth. "Hardy, you're just as capable of making a relationship work long-term as Ezra is. I think you doubt yourself and how far you've come, even since I first met you last year. The guy I met last year wouldn't have shoved that girl away at the Halloween gala. He would've left with her."

He stared at her for a long moment. "You really think so?"

Aria nodded. "I think you're capable of a lot, but you've spent so much time screwing around that you apparently seem to believe what your ex-conquests believe about you. But honestly, if I was you, I wouldn't let what they think get to me. You're making choices that are bettering your life. That's more than I can say for most 23-year olds."

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You have a very astute view on the world."

Aria shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She hopped down from the desk a moment later and walked over to grab her things from where they were sitting on the table. "I should go. Work, y'know."

"This late in the afternoon?" Hardy asked.

Aria nodded. "I was asked to come in and help with inventory for a few hours. Shouldn't be much work. It's mostly counting how many of an item we have in stock. Which believe me, right now, it's not much."

_-  
>Well baby you are all that I adore<br>__If love is what you need, a soldier, I will be  
>-<em>

The day before vacation arrived with a vengeance. A snow storm was supposed to hit Rosewood early on Christmas Eve, which meant that Aria, Ezra, Hardy, and Adriana were going to have to have all their things ready to go and be out of town on the twenty-third. On a normal occasion, that would've been a simple feat, but given that it was Christmas time and that Aria had school to attend, they were all a bit frazzled. Hardy and Adriana had put off a lot of Christmas shopping until last minute, and Ezra had been procrastinating on getting papers graded, leaving them all rushing to get everything figured out so that they could leave town as soon as possible.

Aria rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed, surprised by the cold space next to her. As she looked around the room, she spotted Ezra at his desk, curled over a paper. He was still in his pajamas and had a cup of coffee in his hand that was still so warm that it was emitting steam.

"Couldn't bare to spend another minute in bed with me?" She asked as she brushed her hair out of her face.

Ezra looked up at her and smiled apologetically. "I've got to get these papers finished so that we can leave today and not have to worry about getting work done on vacation."

"I can't even entice you back to bed for a quickie?" She said as she yawned and stretched. "We keep talking about working that into our morning schedule."

Ezra chuckled, shaking his head at her. "You're just trying to get me back into bed."

Aria shook her head, lifting her hands over her head and curving her thumbs and index fingers into a circle. "Nu-uh. I'm totally innocent, see?"

Ezra shook his head at her, laughing once more as he looked down at the paper in front of him.

"Fine, I'll just have a morning quickie by myself," Aria said as she moved off the bed and grabbed her bathrobe from the back of the door. "In the shower. Don't be alarmed if you hear me cream- I mean screaming."

She dashed out of the room, chuckling to herself as she made her way into the bathroom. She didn't bother to shut the door as she removed her pajamas and turned the shower on before stepping inside.

She had just stepped into the stream of water when she felt strong hands wrap around her. Her back pressed against Ezra's chest as his hands traveled south, and she tilted her head back as she wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her.

Forty minutes later, the water was tepid at best, and Aria's legs were still trembling as she stepped onto the drying mat on the floor. She wrapped her bathrobe around her body and then wrapped a towel around her head before walking out of the room and back to their bedroom.

Ezra followed quickly in suit, wrapped lazily in a towel as he watched Aria rummage through her closet for a pair of skinny jeans. After she found a pair she was satisfied with, she grabbed a green lacy top and tossed it onto the bed before walking over to the dresser and grabbing a camisole and a lingerie set.

She tossed it all onto the bed and then sat down onto the edge of it and removed her bathrobe. As she grabbed her bra, she could see Ezra watching her with lustful eyes. She chuckled and shook her head at him. "Shouldn't you get dressed and get back to work?" She teased.

He looked over at the clock and then back at her before dropping his towel and walking over to her. His hands curled under her thighs as he brushed his nose up against hers. "Its six thirty. We've got time for round two and for you to still make it to school on time."

Aria giggled as his face nuzzled into her neck. She curled her legs up around his back, pulling him down on top of her.

By the time they finished fifteen minutes later, she was exhausted. She could see the slightest hint of exhaustion in Ezra's eyes that she knew all too well. Whenever they had a particularly passionate go, he would clonk out like clock work.

"This is not fair," she whined as he pulled her t-shirt over her head. "I have to go to school, and you're going to fall back to sleep."

"I won't," Ezra said as he yawned.

Aria laughed, shaking her head at him. She grabbed her make-up bag from the dresser and opened it up before leaning forward to see better in the mirror behind the dresser as she began to apply mascara. "Yeah right. I can see that you're tired."

"We have to leave at two o'clock. Why would I go back to sleep when I still have ten papers to read and grade?" He asked.

Aria shrugged. "Because you're as much of a slacker as your best friend is. He told me about your junior year winter midterm."

"I was sick with the flu!" Ezra argued as he pulled on a pair of boxers. "Meanwhile, he was out partying."

Aria chuckled, shaking her head at him, dropping her eyeliner pencil into her bag. She grabbed a light pink shade of lip gloss and screwed off the cap before rubbing it over her lips and then pressing them together. She smacked them at the mirror and then turned and looked at Ezra.

"I don't know why you put all that on every day," he said as he took a sip from his coffee. "You look beautiful without it."

Aria blushed, smiling as she turned back to the mirror and continued to apply her makeup. Ezra stood and walked over to where she was, settling his cup of coffee on the dresser as he came to stand behind her. She finished applying her makeup and leaned back against his chest as she stared into the mirror at them.

"We're just so cute," she giggled.

Ezra chuckled, nuzzling his nose in her hair as he kissed the side of her head. Aria picked her phone out of her pocket and brought up the camera before smiling at the mirror and snapping a photo.

"Mirror photo?" Ezra said with a light laugh. "Have we fallen that low?"

Aria slapped the back of her hand against his chest. "What's wrong with a mirror photo?"

"Nothing. Your camera takes photos from the front though," he said as she set the picture as the background of her computer screen.

"Oh hush," she told him. "We look cute."

She made sure the her phone screen was set right before tucking it back into her pocket. She looked at Ezra through the mirror in front of them and pouted slightly. "I have to go to school."

Ezra kissed her on the top of her head and then removed his arms from around her before walking over and grabbing her schoolbag from where it had been beside the bed the night before. He walked over to her and handed it to her before Aria tilted her chin up and kissed him.

"Love you," she murmured.

Ezra smiled. "Love you too. Learn stuff."

Aria chuckled. "Absolutely, with twenty minute classes."

_-  
>I just sit in these flames and pray that you'll come back<br>__Close my eyes tightly, hold on and hope that I'm dreaming  
>-<em>

Aria tipped her cup of coffee back, grateful that Spencer had been thoughtful enough to pick her up one on their way into school. She hadn't realized why until she'd gotten to school; Spencer had left her three calls that had been unanswered, due to her amorous activities with Ezra.

She looked around the mostly-empty class room and yawned. It was always the one downside to attending school the day Christmas break began. Almost half of the student body checked out a day early for travel every year. She could recall a few years in her own childhood when she and Mike had been pulled out earlier for an extended vacation, like when she was fourteen. Her grandfather had been sick, and they weren't sure he was going to make it through the holidays. He had, but had passed away later that year, towards the end of the summer.

Spencer moved up one seat next to Aria and rubbed her eyes. The exhaustion in them told Aria that the Hastings were dealing with their typical holiday madness.

"Why can't we just duck out and take the early break like everyone else is going to?" Spencer murmured as she fought a yawn or her own. "Emily's not even going to be here."

Aria nodded. "And Hanna is leaving at ten with her dad. What about you?"

Spencer shrugged. "We're headed to Connecticut tonight after my dad finishes up at the office. You?"

"Leaving for New York as soon as I get home. I swear I'm going to be so happy when Adriana finally isn't jumping down Hardy's throat anymore because they're not engaged."

Spencer chuckled. "Is that really going to solve anything?"

Aria sighed. "No. At least not according to Hardy. He says that she's going to go nuts and have the whole wedding planned before the spring semester is even over. I don't think I've ever seen someone so determined to have everything they want." She paused for a moment to take a sip of her coffee. "Well, except for you of course."

Spencer shook her head at Aria. "Being a Hastings is hell."

Aria smiled sympathetically at her. "You think your grandmother will try to pay you off to do something this year?"

Spencer laughed, shaking her head at the many memories of years past. "Who knows. I only wish Toby didn't have to stay here alone."

Aria nodded. She looked up at the clock a moment later and then jumped up out of her seat. 'I've got to catch my brother before his first class. I'll be back."

She passed Ella on her way out of the room as she headed into the halls. They were slowly filling, and a generous amount of her fellow students were exchanging gifts and discussing holiday plans.

She turned the corner into one of the hallways and spotted Mike. She had to stop for a moment just to take in the sight of him. He'd put on a few pounds; most of it in muscle. His hair had also been cut, and there was a sense that his personality had changed somewhat too.

She knew she'd been guilty of not keeping up with his life in the past few months. Ever since her parents had split up, she'd found herself growing closer to Ella again, but every time she asked about Mike, she was told that Mike had stayed in the house with Byron.

She swallowed past the nervous knot building in her throat and made her way down the hall. She was a few feet away when Mike looked up and spotted her.

She was polite, and waited until his friends mentioned that they'd see him in class before he turned to her. He greeted her cheerfully, and they shared a hug before she retrieved a small envelope from her back pocket and handed it to him. He gently tore it opened and then reached inside.

The look of glee that crossed his face was one that made Aria realize any problems they might've had, were nonexistent.

"Seriously, Aria? Harlem Globtrotter tickets?!" He squealed in a manly fashion. The smile on his face was priceless.

She smiled and welcomed yet another hug from him. "I wanted to give them to you now, but I figured I could give them to Ella so they don't get swiped. They're probably crappy seats too, but-"

Mike shook his head. She knew by his reaction alone that it was the thought that counted more than anything else.

"Now I feel bad," he admitted softy. "All I got you was a gift card for Vanity."

Aria shrugged, shaking her head. "Clothes are my friends. And boots."

Mike laughed, and she shook her head at him teasingly. She reached up and ruffled the front of his hair teasingly. "You're still an idiot."

He feigned a hurt expression. "Well you're still a diva."

Aria popped her hip out and pushed her lips out, and they both laughed once more before they hugged a final time. Mike handed her the small envelope that held her gift card as well as the basketball tickets before she headed back to her mother's classroom.

As she stepped inside, the room had filled considerably more in the past few minutes. Mona and Spencer were chatting while Emily was talking near the door at the back of the classroom with Paige.

She walked up to Ella and handed her the tickets, explaining the situation. Ella quickly took them and locked them in the top drawer of her desk, amidst the pages of one of her grading books.

Aria returned to her seat a few moments later and shortly thereafter, Ella called the class to order as the bell rang. It wasn't much different from the day before they had all been set off for Thanksgiving holidays, and she found herself sitting through her classes bored, with either a book to hold her attention, or whatever movie her teachers decided to show bits and pieces of. Hanna left mid-way through Aria and Spencer's creative writing class, and Calculus might've been the most boring class of the day. With Emily gone and nothing really to do, she ended up spending most of the class attempting to surreptitiously text from behind the textbook in her lap.

Much to her surprise, Ezra had stayed awake, and was continuing to slowly make his way through the ungraded papers with what seemed to be due diligence.

Aria dared a peak over at the girl next to her. She was on the cheerleading squad and had had her own iPhone in her lap, apparently in a diligent game of tap tap revenge while her headphones were plugged in.

Her own phone began to play Ezra's ringtone in her ears, and she turned her attention back down at it.

**I swear this paper I'm reading  
><strong>**is a rehashing of Hamlet.  
><strong>**God help me.  
><strong>**-Ezra**

Aria kept her laughter to herself as she replied a less than honest apology to him. She didn't envy his job of having to read horribly written papers, or ones that seemed too easily plagiarized. It reminded her of the situation with Noel all over again.

The bell rang a few moments later, and she closed her text messages before turning the volume down on her phone so that it was set to silent once more as she made her way to World History. It was a repeat of the rest of her other classes, which left her yet again sneaking text messages from behind her textbook while she pretended to read.

By the time she reached Botany – her last class of the day – she was bored out of her mind. She'd caught more than her fair share of fellow students playing Draw Something and Temple Run on their phones as they waited for noon to come so that they could all be set free and head home to start their vacations.

Botany was really the only class she had anything to do as it was. They were studying the growth of sunflowers, which really only meant that they had to write a short observation on any changes that had happened since the day before.

By the time she was finished scrawling out the observations into her notebook, there were just a few minutes left in the day. She retrieved a fruit grain bar from her bag and munched on it while she waited for the bell to ring.

When it finally did, she was right at the door with her friends, waiting to get out of the room. The hallways were abuzz with students determined to get their things and get out of the building as fast as possible.

She was less rushed, taking her time as she made her way to her locker. When she reached it, she settled her textbooks in the bottom of it and then grabbed everything she was sure she would need over break before stopping in by her mother's classroom, where Ella and Mike were chatting. She said goodbye to each of them and agreed to call them both over the holidays before heading out of the room.

As she walked, she pulled on her coat and hat, passing by her fellow students as she did.

Any other day, she would've been in a rush to get out of the building, but since she hadn't driven herself to school that day, she wasn't in as much of a rush. Spencer had picked her up upon the agreement that Ezra was planning to pick her up on their way over to Hardy and Adriana's place.

She made her way down the block from the school and across the street, continuing to walk until she spotted a familiar red jeep. She stopped and turned as the window rolled down.

"Get in," Hardy said through the window.

Aria raised an eyebrow at him as she walked over to the car and opened the passenger door. She settled her things on the floor and looked over at him. "Why are **you **picking me up?"

"Apparently Ezra needs his sister's expertise on something to do with you. They left about an hour ago, and I still had a few things to get done, so I said I'd pick you up," Hardy explained.

Aria sighed, removing her jacket after pulling her seatbelt on. The car was stuffy from the heat being on full-blast. "Hardy, please tell me he's not looking for a ring. One engagement this Christmas is more than enough."

Hardy chuckled. "I don't think he's shopping for a ring, but you're also very tough to shop for. What with your obsession with shoes."

Aria slapped his shoulder as she looked down at the center console. He'd stocked up on snacks and even gotten them lunch.

"Well I guess you're forgiven for that…But only because I'm hungry," she told him. She opened up the McDonalds bag resting between them and snatched a fry from one of the containers.

"It kind of works out conveniently," he admitted. "I need a little help figuring out this whole proposal thing, and since you know her best…"

Aria nodded, wiping salt off against her jeans. "Whatever you need, I'm your girl."


	16. Dear Fortune And Love

_Chapter 16_

_Dear Fortune And Love, I Hear You Favour The Brave_

Aria rubbed her eyes as she watched the fire kindle in the fireplace. She'd helped Adriana and Serena finish wrapping gifts after everyone had eaten dinner – the boys had insisted on lasagna, as usual – and then she'd spent the better half of the evening reading through her friends posts that were quickly flooding her SocialPage. Hanna was already in Florida with her dad, Isobel, and Kate, and her mother was due to join them with detective Wilden in a day or so. How that relationship had even come to be was one Aria didn't understand, and Hanna didn't seem to want to talk about it, given that they all had a history with him. Even so, Aria knew it was because Hanna's parents were trying to be fair with her, and not force her to spend her holidays away from one or the other.

She hadn't heard much from Spencer and Emily, but that was to be expected. They were both heavily sucked into family time during Christmas time, and rarely got a spare moment away during such occasions.

Ezra's face nuzzled against her neck, and she chuckled as she leaned against him. "Aren't you tired yet? This morning wasn't enough?"

He laughed, biting down gently against the spot just below her ear. Aria moaned, melting against him. Even so, she could feel her eyelids starting to fall and she groaned.

"I can't," she murmured wearily. She yawned as she spoke. "I'm so tired."

Ezra chuckled, dropping back against the pillows next to her. "Weakling. College will run you over."

Aria narrowed her eyes at him as she scowled. "This coming from the guy who went running during a heat warning and collapsed during his finals."

Ezra stuck his tongue out at her, and Aria shook her head at him.

"Not taking the bait," she said as she turned her back to him and rested against him. She shifted the blankets for maximum warmth and closed her eyes.

Ezra nuzzled his face into her collarbone as his fingers brushed under her t-shirt across her stomach.

"C'mon Ezra, now you're just being cruel…" she whined. The more his hands moved, the more her body was waking up, which was only further frustrating her. When he didn't let up on her, she flipped over and pinned him down against the bed. He chuckled.

"Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face," she said as she lowered down until she was at eyelevel with him.

Ezra shook his head at her, still smiling.

"Really?" Aria asked. She ground her hips against his, causing Ezra to groan. She smiled and leaned down, brushing her lips against his. That was all it took for him to flip her back over and pin her to the bed. She pushed her head up against his and kissed him harshly. Ezra's hands moved down to the hem of her shirt and began to pull it up her body as she tugged on his hair. They sat up in a fluid motion as he pulled her shirt over her head, and she removed his just as quickly. He pinned her back to the bed as he moved his hands down to her sweatpants. He curled his fingers inside of them and tugged them down off her hips. Aria kept one of her hands in his hair as the other moved down to his pajama pants. She yanked them down his body until she could grasp his erection in her hand.

Ezra moaned into her mouth as he pulled her further down on the bed and kicked his pants off. Their lips parted and he looked down as Aria shifted her leg onto his hip. As he looked back up at her, they both paused in their movements for the briefest moments. His pupils were so large that the irises were tiny rings.

Aria pulled him down to her and brushed her tongue over his bottom lip as he reached a hand over to the nightstand and reached through it blindly until he grasped a foil packet in his hand. Aria reached out and grabbed it, curling her fingers into his hand as she grasped it. She pulled her hands between them and tore the small packet open before reaching down between them and rolling onto his erection.

Once she had it rolled down to the base, and her hands moved back up to his chest, he wasted no time thrusting into her. Aria dug her nails into his chest as she let out a guttural moan. Aria bit his bottom lip as he continued to thrust into her. He gripped her hips tightly in his hands, and she met his thrusts with equal vigor.

She reached her orgasm quickly, and Ezra followed her shortly after. When he had regained enough of his energy, he moved off of her and removed the condom before tossing it into the small trash next to the bed.

Aria sighed, but it quickly turned into a yawn. She looked over at Ezra. "Are you happy now?"

He chuckled. "Now? I'm tired."

She scowled at him as she kicked his left shin under the blankets.

"Ow! That hurt!" Even as he whined, there was a sense of laughter to his face, so Aria whipped her hand out and slapped his shoulder. Ezra grabbed her hand as she moved to pull it away and looked down at her fingers.

"Oh God, you're going all sentimental on me now," she rolled her eyes and looked back up at him. "What?"

"It's been months since we've had a real issue. I was just enjoying that fact," he replied.

Aria raised her eyebrows at him. "We both had the flu ten days ago. You almost hit your head on the bathtub because no one decided to inform me that when you get sick it's like hell has frozen over."

Ezra chuckled again. "All the stories didn't give that away to you?"

Aria narrowed his eyes at him, ready to slap him yet again, but he tightened his grip on her hand. "Haven't you ever heard of embellishment?"

Ezra shook his head at her as he laughed again. "Ask my mother tomorrow. They don't embellish stories about me being sick."

"You suck," she muttered as she turned over on the bed to face him.

"I thought that was your job," he laughed.

"Good god you're relentless," she sighed. "You're lucky I love you."

_you never loved me anyway_

_you just wanted to be who you got to be with me_

_The first thing he remembered was the pain. His head hurt, and then his chest hurt, and his arms, and legs. And then came the bright light and all the sound. It was like standing next to an amplifier with every noise. When his eyes finally opened, it was like everything was tinted with a shade of red. He could hear Aria saying his name as he slowly started to lift his head. It felt like a lead weight had been attached to the top of it. _

"_Aria?" His own voice sounded weird coming out of his mouth. _

_He could hear Ella's voice as he managed to ask Aria if she was okay. Her voice was insistent as she said she was fine, but it was still as if someone were yelling in his ear. _

"_You're not fine," Ella said emphatically. He could barely make out her eyes in the blurriness of his vision. "Ezra, can you move?" _

"_A bit." His voice slurred, and he grimaced slightly, only for pain to shoot through his entire head. "Copper?" _

"_You're bleeding from your mouth." _

_He coughed, spraying blood onto the steering wheel. There was so much blood running down his head and he was bleeding from so many different cuts that it took him several moments before he realized she was right. He turned as best he could to look at Aria. _

"_Are you okay? Honestly?" _

"_I'm **fine**," she repeated. Just bleeding. You're not." _

_The spasm in his stomach was inbred from him for longer than he could remember. To see a drop of blood or two was one thing, but when it was in profusion, the sight of it made him want to vomit. _

_His brow furrowed in pain as the sound of sirens became loud, and then there were too many voices mixing together, and he was dizzy and could feel the noises and the light fading in and out. But if there was one thing he couldn't get out of his head, it was that the brakes had been fine that morning. Hell, they'd been fine when he had gone to get himself something to eat for lunch. Which meant that someone had cut the brakes before they'd left Hollis. _

_And then it was all he could do to say it. He could barely speak clearly, but he was determined that they know that the accident was caused by foul play. And the last thing he remembered was repeating for the third time that the brakes had been cut as they locked the stretcher into wall of the ambulance. _

Ezra bolted up in the bed the next morning and looked around the room. He inhaled and exhaled heavy breaths as he looked around the room. There was snow falling outside of the house, and the sun was shining brightly.

He looked over to Aria. She was still fast asleep, curled up with the blankets wrapped tightly around her. He took in a deep breath and then sighed before running a hand over his face. He looked back down at Aria again and then leaned over and kissed the side of her head before moving off the bed with the sheet wrapped around him. He walked over to where his clothes had been kicked off the night before, and picked them up before tossing them onto the end of the bed. He threw the sheet up onto it as well and then grabbed his boxers and tugged them on before grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. He walked over to their bags and grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of jogging pants before pulling both of them on.

He walked out of the bedroom a few moments later and made his way down the hall and then down the steps to the first floor. He stepped into the dining room and was quickly hit with an onslaught of scents. Coffee was the clearest, but he could also smell eggs and bacon.

Hardy looked up from the book he was reading, and raised and eyebrow at Ezra. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Ezra shook his head and walked into the kitchen. Serena handed him a cup filled with a caramel colored liquid.

"I heard you moving around upstairs," she said as he took a long sip from the mocha cappuccino. The hot liquid was a nice greeting to the beginning of his day. He walked back into the dining room, and Serena followed after him.

Ezra sat down at the table and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of it before taking another long drink from his cappuccino.

Serena looked up from her coffee cup as she finished refilling it and looked at Ezra. "You okay, hon?"

Ezra's brow furrowed as he looked around the room. "I think so. I had this dream– it was vivid as hell." He looked up at Serena. "I think I remembered part of the car accident. I mean, just after we were hit. It was j- maybe two or three minutes. But I think it was real."

Serena smiled. "That's great."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It's just weird."

They sat in silence over the next few hours, drinking coffee quietly while they read. Serena was reading a thriller novel while Hardy was reading a textbook. Ezra didn't have a clue as to why, given that they had graduated together.

"Why are you reading a textbook?" He asked as he stood to head into the kitchen for his second cup of coffee.

Hardy folded his arms over the textbook as he looked up at Ezra. "Chapin offered me a job if I go back for a graduate degree."

Ezra's eyebrows raised in surprise. "As in The Chapin School on the East Side of New York City?"

Hardy nodded, smirking. "What have _you _been offered?"

Ezra chuckled. "Leman Manhattan Prep asked me to move back to New York right after I graduated. I've been talking with them since Aria started talking with NYU, and their offer still stands. But wait, does Adriana know that they've offered you a position?"

Hardy nodded. "We haven't talked much about it, but she knows the offer is on the table, and she's looked at transferring next year. I guess it'll matter more tomorrow."

"What will?"

They all looked towards the entrance to the room as Adriana and Aria came walking around from the steps. They were both fully dressed. Adriana had on a pair of straight-legged black jeans and a black and white checkered lumber shirt. She had her hair pulled off to the right side of her head as usual.

Aria had on a pair of black leggings under a black skirt that hugged her body, and a long-sleeved dark red thermal shirt. Her hair was down.

"How much you want to be a part of this family," Ezra lied coolly as he looked at Aria. She could tell he was, but the expression on his face also told her that he'd tell her later. "You've never seen what Adriana is like on Christmas morning."

Adriana scowled at him. "What_ever_. I did that **once**, and it was because I got backstage passes to see Taking Back Sunday in concert."

Ezra shook his head at her disbelievingly. "Yeah right. I can name multiple other years when you did that."

Aria walked over to the chair next to Hardy and pulled it out. She sunk down into it and grabbed a banana from the bowl of fruit before turning to look at Hardy. "This family is nuts. What are we thinking?"

Hardy shrugged, turning to look at her. "We're bat-crap crazy."

_-  
>Girl rest your head one more time in my bed<br>__Love me like you loved me when you loved me and you didn't have to try  
>-<em>

Aria sipped from her mug of cocoa as she watched Adriana wrap a sweater she'd gotten Hardy for Christmas. He'd left to meet up with one of his siblings for an hour or so, and Adriana had dug out the last few presents she had to wrap while Serena had gone to do last-minute shopping.

Her eyes drifted down to Ezra as she brushed her fingers of her free hand through his fringe. His head was resting on a pillow laid up against her leg, and he was staring up at the ceiling as if it was going to give him the answers he wanted.

She darted a gaze up at Adriana and then back down at Ezra. "What's got you staring at the ceiling for answers? I've never seen you this determined."

Ezra sighed, looking up at her. "You know how my memory's been like a scrambled egg since the car accident?"

Aria nodded.

"I had this dream last night about it. We were in the car, and you and your mom were there. It felt real," he said.

"Maybe it was," Aria replied.

Ezra shook his head. "I don't see how. Most people never remember things from the day of their accident, and everything before we left Hollis has always been a blur, and then a complete blank."

"Well, I've never been one who believes in finding the analytical sense in dreams and all of that, but maybe there was a reason you were supposed to remember that. Maybe it's supposed to be a sign that things are getting better with your memory," she said.

"Maybe," Ezra murmured.

Aria shook her head at him. "It's not as if they're stellar memories to begin with. I hate remembering those moments; remembering seeing you so hurt. I hate remembering what it was like sitting in your hospital room, wondering if you'd wake up. It's not really a joy for me to think back on that, or on what I can remember of the accident. If I was you, I'd be glad I didn't remember what had happened. We nearly died, and you could've died in that car."

Ezra nodded, rubbing his eyes. He sat up and turned on the seat until he was sitting next to her. He extended his arm out behind her and kicked his legs up onto the coffee table. "I know you're right. It's stupid to want to know those things. It's just…"

"Curiosity," Aria finished for him. "I have blank spots too, and it sucks."

Adriana dropped over dramatically on the floor across the room and groaned. "I'm so _tired_ of wrapping presents. I'll be so glad when the holidays are over."

Ezra raised his eyebrows at her. "Really? You're not jumping for joy yet over New Years?"

She looked up at him, and the slightest bit of a smile started to pull across her face. "I love New Years. New Years is great. Always the best parties here in New York." Her eyes grew wide a moment later. "We should go to Times Square this year! Aria, have you ever been?"

Aria and Ezra chuckled, but Aria shook her head.

"No, I can't say I have. New Years in Rosewood, at least the past few years, was usually me and my friends crashing some kind of party and then going home before everyone got too drunk, and breaking into Spencer's dad's liquor cabinet." She admitted.

"Seriously?" Ezra leaned back slightly, raising his eyebrows at her.

Aria's cheeks pinked a bit. "Alison was controlling with our group, and she knew how to use her words to get us to do what she wanted. It was stupid, but we were…kids. Losing her made us grow up."

"I'm sure having a psycho stalker didn't hurt either," Adriana said.

The comment surprised Aria, and she inhaled sharply, but then nodded a moment later. "Yeah, that ah… It was definitely life-changing. I try not to think about it too much, though. That's the past. I'd rather not live in it."

Ezra pushed off the couch a moment later and moved to the base of the Christmas tree. He picked up a gift from below the tree and stared at it for a moment.

"Why so quiet all of a sudden?" Aria asked as she turned her attention back to him.

Adriana looked up at Aria, and then to Ezra. She sighed as she settled wrapped presents under the tree. "Our father left on Christmas Eve. Our mom made him leave after he threw Ezra into the end of the coffee table."

Ezra looked up at her. "You remember that?"

Adriana nodded. "Mom made you stay up all night to make sure you didn't have a concussion, and I threw a fit because you got to and she wanted me to go to bed."

"Do you ever wonder where he is?" Aria asked before finishing off her cocoa. She settled the empty mug on the coffee table.

Ezra shook his head, settling the present back under the tree. "He left us, and he's not worth spending time looking for."

Aria could see the apprehension on Adriana's face at Ezra's comment, but she didn't say anything as she stood up and grabbed the last of the wrapping paper and rolled it back onto the cardboard pin it came on.

Ezra pushed up from the floor as she walked out of the room and walked back over to the couch. He rested his head on the top the couch and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you ever think your sister might disagree with you?"

Ezra dropped his arm and looked over at Aria. "I know she does. And honestly, I hate it. But I'm not going to change what I think, either."

"So you never want to see him again?" Aria asked.

Ezra shook his head. "If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that I'll never have any use for that man in my life again."

_-  
>Close my eyes tightly, hold on and hope<br>__That I'm dreaming; come wake me up  
>-<em>

Aria groaned as she pulled her pillow tightly over her head the next morning. If she had any idea about sleeping in on Christmas morning, she was sadly mistaken, given that Adriana had just come into the room and ripped the blankets off she and Ezra and told them to wake up.

As she tossed her pillow back to the head of the bed, she considered herself lucky to not have engaged in amorous activities with Ezra the night before, so they were both fully dressed.

Ezra grabbed her hands and pulled her into an upright position, even as she pouted at him.

"It's barely seven AM," she whined. "Who gets up this early on Christmas morning?"

Ezra chuckled, shaking Aria's arms to wake her up. She scowled at him as she opened her eyes more fully.

"I think she's expecting that she's going to find a ring under that tree," he said as he pulled Aria to her feet. She leaned into him and closed her eyes.

"Well she could wait a few more hours," she whined as they headed out of the room. She wasn't even watching where she was walking as they headed into the hallway.

"Please tell me I'm nuts."

Aria opened her eyes as they made their way down the hall. As they reached Adriana's room, Hardy was tugging a sweatshirt over his head, mid-yawn.

"Seriously," he said once he had freed his head. "I've got to be nuts to be letting her wake me up this early in the morning. Maybe I should just hide it and make her wait."

"Oh God," Aria groaned. "Please, for the sake of the rest of us, don't do that. She'll kill us all."

"I can hear you guys talking about me up there!"

The three of them laughed as they walked down the hall and down the steps to the first floor. They were greeted by Serena carrying a tray of steaming cups of cappuccino. They each snatched a cup off of it and then she settled the tray on the end of the coffee table.

As Aria stared at Serena for a long moment, she realized it was the first time she'd ever seen the older woman in pajamas. She was dressed simply in a long t-shirt, and had on faded light pink pajama pants with Siamese cats on them.

Ezra tugged a blanket off the back of the couch and then they both sat down on the floor, and he shared it with her. Aria buried her face in her mug as she leaned into Ezra. He wrapped his arm around her and rubbed his hand up and down her back while Serena went to work trying to get a fire going in the fireplace.

"I can help you with that, ma," he said.

She shook her head, tossing a piece of wood inside of the fireplace. "I'm good."

She had it lit a few moments later, and then she joined them on the floor. When she had finally settled on the floor with them, Adriana retrieved the first present from under the tree. She turned it around so that she could see the tag.

"To Ezra, from mom," she said before passing it to him. He peeled off the paper and then tossed it aside as he unfolded the piece of clothing. It was a dark green hoodie, and Aria could tell just by looking at it that it was expensive.

Ezra looked up at Serena. "This is-"

"Something you would never buy for yourself. So I got it for you," she said, cutting him off.

"It's too expensive," he insisted.

Serena shook her head at him. "Nonsense." She turned to Adriana. "Next present."

Adriana retrieved another gift from under the tree, and passed it to Aria. "From mom."

Aria looked from Ezra to Serena, surprised that she'd bought a gift for her. She looked it over for a few moments before tentatively taking off the wrapping paper. Afterwards, she settled it on the floor and removed the cover to the box.

A smile crossed her face as she lifted the first thing out of the box. It was a beanie from NYU. As she looked down at the contents of the box, the other things that were inside of it were also from NYU. Among them was a pair of pajama pants, a t-shirt, and a keychain.

She looked up at Serena. "Thank you."

Serena nodded. A moment later, Adriana passed a gift to Hardy.

They continued the ritual until only a few gifts remained under the tree; Ezra's to Aria and Aria's to him.

Hardy dared a nervous smirk at Aria and Ezra as Adriana seemed to search under the tree that she was sure was there. Frustrated, she finally grabbed one of the presents and handed it to Ezra.

"From Aria," she said in a curt tone.

Ezra stifled a laugh as he took the small wrapped box from her and unwrapped it. He tossed aside the wrapping paper and then removed the cap to the paper box. There was a small booklet of papers stapled together, and then a key resting under them.

He removed the papers and looked over at Aria, raising an eyebrow slightly before he turned it open and looked at the first sheet.

That was all it took for his laughter to break free. She blushed as she smiled at him, but he was careful to keep them out of reach as Hardy dove for them. He ended up dropping the box. Hardy looked down at it, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "A key? I don't get it?"

"Seriously?" Adriana said dumbly to him. "To her heart!"

Hardy stared at them for a few moments. "…Oh."

Adriana retrieved the last present from under the tree before handing it over to Aria. As she unwrapped it, she watched Ezra replace the small booklet back into the box and then place the cover on top of it.

She removed the cover of the box in her hands and then looked down into it. There was a large journal with a leather binding. Her jaw dropped as she looked at Ezra, while also turning over the inside cover.

As she did, she saw the note on the first page and looked back down at it.

_Aria,_

_You should know, I searched high and low to figure out what in the world to get you. It's not very easy to shop for the girl who says she has everything she could want. I considered your shoe addiction, but that would've been too easy. _

_And then it occurred to me – what do I know you do more than anything else? Write. And I know how much it irritates you when pages fall out of your old journals when you're reading them, so give you this journal to fill your thoughts with, with the hope that one day you might let me read them. _

_I love you. _

_Xoxo, Ezra. _

Aria gave him a pouty smile as tears filled her eyes. She turned the cover shut and then cupped his chin as she leaned into him and kissed him. "Thank you. I love it."

Ezra raised his eyebrows at her suggestively. "I'm going to enjoy my present too."

She chuckled. "There's more to it than that. I just can't give it to you until we get back home."

With all the presents seemingly finished, they began to help Serena and Adriana clean up the room of the wrapping paper.

Hardy stood and walked over to where his coat was hanging next to the front door and dug into the coat pocket until his hand wrapped a small velvet box. He pulled it out and then turned and walked across the room. Adriana had her back to him as he dropped to a single knee and grasped her hand in his. Ezra, Aria, and Serena had already stopped to see what he was doing.

Adriana gulped as she looked down at him, well aware of what was coming. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from screaming her answer; she'd taken his chance to do this once before. She wouldn't take it a second time.

Hardy turned open the box to reveal a diamond surrounded by small diamonds all the way around it. "Adriana Valeria Fitz, I've known you for five years, and for four of those years, I swore to myself I would never understand your craziness. I would never accept the eccentricity that you had about you, or come to love your quirks. In fact, I said you were downright nuts."

Aria and Adriana both chuckled.

"But somehow my wires got crossed at some point this year, because I've fallen so madly and desperately in love with you that I can't see loving any other woman on this planet." He bit down on his bottom lip for a moment before, swallowing past the knot forming in his throat. "Will you do me the honour of letting me call you my wife?"

While she didn't take away his chance for a speech, the second he'd finished the question, she quickly threw herself into his arms with a screeching 'Yes!'. Ezra, Aria, and Serena laughed as they clapped at her reaction.

Hardy hugged her back and then kissed her when she allowed him the opportunity before he finally was able to place the ring on her finger. Adriana stared down at it gleefully before kissing him yet again.

Tears were present on her face as she looked at her hand. "I was sure that you weren't going to propose."

He chuckled. "Leaving it under the tree would've made it too easy for you. I had to get a little more original than that."

Adriana smiled, tightening her arms around his neck. A moment later, she looked up at Aria. "You have to be in the wedding! My maid of honor."

Aria chuckled. "Sure. They won't legally let me sign the papers as a witness, though."

Adriana waved her hand at Aria, waving the issue away. "I'll worry about that later. I'm thinking April."

Aria's eyebrows raised in surprise. "April? As in four months from now?"

Adriana nodded, turning to look back at Hardy. "We'll make it happen. I spent two months acting like an idiot. I don't want to wait any longer than I have to."

Ezra slipped his arms around Aria's waist and nuzzled his face into her neck. "They're turning this holiday into something worth vomiting over."

Aria laughed, leaning into him.

"Like you two haven't made us want to vomit more than once," Adriana retorted as she stood. "I could name more than half a dozen occasions, in detail."

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty!" Aria and Hardy said simultaneously.

"I'm still pretty sure we're bat-crap crazy," Hardy said to Aria as he picked up the last piece of wrapping paper and tossed it into the garbage bag.

Aria nodded. "Yep. Thank God we've got each other, because I'm pretty positive they're going to make us nuts."

"Hey!" Adriana threw a throw pillow at Aria. Aria caught it and wrinkled her nose, giving Aria a teasing look.

Aria looked back at Hardy and shrugged her shoulders. "Good luck."


	17. Every Hope In The World

_Chapter 17_

_Every Hope In The World In Those Bright Blue Eyes_

Aria brushed her fingers through her hair, looking around the bar. There were at least a hundred people in the bar, and she didn't know a single one of them. She had no idea where Ezra was, let alone how to find Adriana and Hardy. They'd decided to get out of the bar and away from all the rowdiness, and the last time she'd seen Ezra, he was at the bar.

She sighed and pulled her cell phone from the pocket of her jeans. The screen lit up and the clock showed the countdown she'd set on it at 11. Midnight was in twenty minutes.

A drunk woman stumbled into her, knocking her into the wall. Her phone slipped from her hand, and she leaned down to pick it up, inwardly growling at the already-drunk idiots shoving into each other. She couldn't even remember why she'd agreed to spend new years eve in New York.

_She dropped her things next to the bedroom door and then walked over to the couch and dropped onto it. "Let's just sleep for the next three days, k?" _

_Ezra chuckled, walking over to the couch. He stepped over her and sat down on the middle seat before stretching out next to her. "But then I wouldn't get my to put my Christmas present to use. Or get my **other **Christmas present." _

_Aria turned her head to look at him. "Okay fine. Then just like 20 hours a day?" _

_Ezra brushed his lips over her forehead, chuckling again. "Sure. But I'm pretty sure we were asked to spend New Years in New York. You wouldn't want to sleep through seeing the ball drop, would you?" _

_Aria raised an eyebrow at him. "Ezra, have I **ever **struck you as someone who watches the ball drop?" _

_He shook his head, still smiling. "No, you don't. But then, you've never spent new years in Times Square." _

"_Somehow that just sounds like spending the evening with a bunch of drunken idiots and obsessed teenagers who convinced their parents to let them watch the musicians in Rockerfeller Center." _

_Ezra laughed. "Are you **sure **you've never spent new years in Times Square?" _

_Aria shook her head. She sat there a moment longer and then pushed up from the spot she was seated in and walked into the kitchen. Ezra watched, confused. "What're you doing?"_

_"Making coffee," she called back._

_She returned to the room a few moments later with a pout on her face. "I'm going to miss having a gourmet coffee maker in the house."_

_Ezra chuckled. "I'll look into one when we move to New York."_

_Aria grinned. _

"_So when do I get the other half of my Christmas present?" He asked a few seconds later. _

_Aria lifted her hand to him, gesturing a 'one moment' with her index finger. She walked into the bedroom and retrieved her guitar before she walked back into the sitting room. She sat down on the coffee table and settled the guitar on her knees before strumming a few chords to make sure the guitar was in tune before she looked back up at him. "Do you remember last year when I played that song for you that I'd wrote?"_

_Ezra nodded._

_"I've written a lot about you to be honest," she said. Her face flushed as she blushed, she bit her top lip for a moment and then strummed a few chords on the guitar before looking back up at Ezra. "When you went back to New York at the end of the summer and we were arguing, I wrote this."  
><em>

_There was a hint of nervousness on Ezra's face, and Aria chuckled. She began to strum the guitar lightly, letting the softness of the guitar wash over her before she began to sing. _

"_oh my darling  
><em>_I'm so far in  
><em>_I can't see my feet  
><em>_the water deep  
><em>_is washing over me_

_fifty states might separate us  
><em>_but it only makes me see  
><em>_how much you mean, yeah_

_well when whisper  
><em>_pull me out of my slumber  
><em>_i stumbled under  
><em>_some kind of spell_

_now the distance gives me reason to wonder  
><em>_how I'll recover from our farewell_

_cause these days  
><em>_doesn't matter what you say  
><em>_I'm a mess when you're away  
><em>_and unless you come back  
><em>_I'll be one step closer to insane  
><em>_its enough to keep me lying wide awake  
><em>_counting the ways  
><em>_that i miss you babe…"_

_As she played, she recalled the argument they'd had on the phone two days after he'd left. She knew she'd been at fault because of how she'd let her parents come between them, but it had hurt her when she'd had to hear from Adriana that he'd left town to New York without telling her. _

"_complications, conversations  
><em>_late into the night  
><em>_i'm over the same old hello goodbye_

_oh leave me speechless  
><em>_i miss that feeling  
><em>_with each lonely  
><em>_evening that goes by  
><em>_i can't describe babe_

_well San Francisco has a way with the summer  
><em>_and fall does a number to New York City  
><em>_but regardless above us  
><em>_you're doing something that's sure to get me_

_cause these days  
><em>_doesn't matter what you say  
><em>_I'm a mess when you're away  
><em>_and unless you come back  
><em>_I'll be one step closer to insane  
><em>_its enough to keep me lying wide awake  
><em>_counting the ways  
><em>_That I miss you baby…_

_save me,  
><em>_give my troubled heart  
><em>_what it's been aching daily for  
><em>_whoa, i hope that you know me  
><em>_enough to see that i can't be alone anymore..."_

_Ezra watched her and listened with attentiveness, fully aware of the time that she was referring to. There had been several very tough points where he had honestly considered ending their relationship. It wasn't for the fact that he didn't love her, but he didn't like the feeling of being put off either. She had, in a lot of ways, made him feel like he was only there for convenience and that she had no use for him otherwise. _

_When she had turned up on the doorstep after their argument with her things, a part of him had considered closing the door in her face, because he was aware that there was the chance she might reconsider what she was doing, and she was previously faced with the situation of separating from her parents, she had ultimately gone back to them. She had made it hard to trust her again, even though he ultimately managed to find a way back to her. _

"_these days  
><em>_doesn't matter what you say  
><em>_I'm a mess when you're away  
><em>_and unless you come back  
><em>_I'll be one step closer to insane  
><em>_its enough to keep me lying wide awake  
><em>_counting the ways  
><em>_that I miss you babe…"_

_Aria bit her bottom lip as she settled her guitar on the floor, leaning it against the couch. The coffee percolator beeped a moment later, and she pushed up from the coffee table before walking into the kitchen. _

_Ezra sat there a moment longer before he walked into the kitchen after her and leaned against the doorframe. "I wish you'd shared that with me when things were happening." _

_Aria looked up at him as she opened up the bottle of creamer and poured a generous amount into it. "Why?" _

"_Because at the time, I was questioning a lot of things, and it would've solved a lot of problems. I thought you didn't want us anymore." He admitted. "It's why I was so mad." _

_Aria dropped two cubes of sugar into her coffee cup and looked back up at him. "I have **always **wanted us. I just…needed to make a few mistakes, I guess. Sometimes I feel like I'm lightyears behind everyone else because we're going on two years now, and there are people that are that far into their relationships and are already talking about marriage and kids, and…" She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't want to screw it up." _

_Ezra walked over to her and brushed her hair out of her face as he cupped her face in his hands. "You will never screw this up by being honest with me." _

Aria scanned the bar for any sight of Ezra, and sighed, shaking her head. She looked down at her hand and winced at the sight of the bloodied paper towel. She **definitely **hated drunk women in Times Square on new years eve.

She stepped up to the bar and leaned over it, looking for the bartender. He was down at the other end, flirting with a couple of girls who were very obviously drunk. She huffed and looked up and down the back of the bar before she spotted an open box of bandaids. She snatched a few and then walked out of the building, only to be met with a bitter bite of cold air that came from the end of December.

As she looked around, it seemed that her search was only going to become more impossible. She couldn't tell one person from another as she pushed past the people surrounding her, pulling apart the bandaids as she did and gently wrapping them around her hand. The music was loud, and she could see a stage off in the distance.

When she had her bandaids pressed onto her hand, she tucked the wrappers into her pocket and then pulled her cell phone out of her other pocket. She knew it was a long shot, given how loud it was and how many people there currently were, but she sent a text to Adriana. Not that she was even sure where Adriana or Hardy even were.

"_Are you sure we're not going to get mobbed at this thing?" Aria asked as she tucked her phone into her pocket, having just turned it down to silent. _

"_We've spent every new years in times square since I was fifteen," Adriana insisted. We'll be fine." _

_Aria stared at her skeptically for a few moments. "You're absolutely positive? I'm not going to have to deal with drunk girls crying while I try to pee?" _

_Adriana laughed. "Okay, I can't promise that won't happen, cause there's always at least two or three girls who are in tears before midnight. But you'll be having so much fun, you won't even notice." _

"I'm not having **any **fun Adriana," Aria muttered to herself as she looked down at her phone. She sighed and looked around through the crowd once more. If she didn't get a text message back soon, she had every intention of heading back to the house and spending midnight in a cab.

It wasn't as if she'd intended to get separated from them. She had actually spent most of the evening with Adriana, getting to know some of the girls who Adriana had been friends with while she was in high school. But there had been one girl, who was two years older than Adriana that had apparently had a thing for Ezra for years. She had followed them around for the better half of two hours like a lost puppy, fawning over Ezra, even after he repeatedly told her that he was with his girlfriend.

Even so, she had eventually – finally – left them alone when her 'date' threatened to ditch her, and they had headed off to another bar. They had ducked out to a different bar as well, and ran into about half a dozen of Ezra and Hardy's friends from college and people they had gone to high school with. At that point, it had seemed like things were finally going to take a turn for the better. They were enjoying themselves, and while they were drinking, none of them were anywhere near drunk. The girls who were hanging around with them were actually being smart enough to not throw themselves all over Ezra and Hardy, and although several guys had tried to hit her she and Adriana, they backed off when they both stated that they had boyfriends.

It had all gone to crap when Adriana asked her to duck into the bathroom for a spell. When they had returned, they had intended to sneak up on the boys, but had walked up just in time to hear Ezra admit that he felt afflicted because Aria was still in high school.

It wasn't necessarily that she blamed him for feeling that way, but either way she tried the spin it in her head, the fact that he felt that way still hurt Aria. And as much as she wished she could brush it off, it was the kind of comment that made her question all the other choices he had made because of her in the past year and a half.

_She shoved through a throng of girls and stepped out into the cold December air, trying to block out the thumping music as she clenched her fists angrily._

"_Aria, it wasn't meant how it sounded!" Ezra's hand curled around her bicep and he turned her to face him, clearly frustrated._

"_You told your friends you wished I was older, Ezra!" She yelled as she glared up at him angrily. "And for all the things I can try to do to make things better when I do something you don't like, that's one thing I **can't **change! I can't make myself older!" _

"_I never-" _

_She shook her head, cutting Ezra off. "I can't deal with this right now." _

And so she had found herself being one of those girls in the bathroom, crying. She had lost track of Adriana when the older girl had texted her just after 11 to tell her that she and Hardy were going to head out into the square. She'd spent more than half an hour in the bathroom before she had finally forced herself to pull it together, if for no other reason than the fact that she refused to spend the last few minutes of the year crying.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she looked down. She tapped the message button and it opened to her thread with Adriana.

**We're down the street. By the vendors.**

Aria sighed and looked down the block to her left, and then to her right. It was still crazy packed, but with any luck, she'd be able to find them.

She tucked her hands into her coat and then began walking down the street, careful not to walk into anyone or get in anyone's way. People were yelling as it was, and a generous amount of them were drunk. She kept looking up at the clock on the giant screen in the middle of the square, looking at the time. By the time it was 11:56, she was only halfway down the block.

Determined, she picked up her pace and began to run. She stumbled into a few people, and twisted her ankle in the heeled boots she was wearing, but she made it to the vendors a minute later, and spotted Hardy and Adriana. Ezra was standing next to them, holding two red cups.

She walked over to them, and he looked up at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she spoke before he could.

"I don't want to fight tonight," she said loudly, though she was sure he could just barely hear her. "Whatever the issue, it's tomorrow's problem."

Ezra shook his head, handing her one of the cups. She held it in her good hand, and he stepped towards her, brushing her hair out of her face. "You walked up on something that was meant in an entirely different way. Yes, I said I wished you were older, but that's more for your benefit than mine," he said honestly. He brushed a strand of hair off her face. "For as much as might affect me that you're younger, I know it's tenfold for you; because of your parents, because of you being in school… I know that all gets to you. But I would **never **want to you to feel like you have to change who you are, Aria. As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to us, age is nothing more than a number."

She wanted to hang onto her anger, but she could see that what he was telling her was the truth, and it quickly quelled any sense of bad emotion left inside of her. She dared a glance up at the clock above the square, and as she did, shouting seemed to fill the air. There was less than a minute left in the year.

"Then let's take this year out the right way."

That was all it took for his lips to be upon hers. It was the first time she had ever found herself in a situation where there was screaming everywhere, but she couldn't hear it, because all she could hear, feel, see, smell…was Ezra.

_-  
>You broke my heart and you can try to run away<br>__But I know where you are, so you better get your fists up  
>-<em>

Aria rubbed her eyes as she stared down at the binder in front of her. Christmas had only been a little more than a week earlier, but Adriana had already started filling the three-inch binder with ideas. It had quickly become clear to Aria that there wasn't a single thing Adriana was willing to spare an expense on. Case-in-point were the shoes she'd picked out that were nearly three hundred dollars. They were peep-toe white heels with butterflies wrapping around the heel. They were absolutely gorgeous, and entirely out of the price range of something Aria would have ever thought to wear on her own.

Adriana flipped a magazine open over the open binder and began flipping through it, dog-earring anything in particular that popped out at her.

"Why rush so quickly to get married?" Aria asked as she yawned. "I mean other than being in love and wanting to."

Adriana looked up at Aria and shrugged. "I'm going into a graduate program after next year, and I feel like if I put it off, it'll continue to be treated that way. I know that's not a real reason to rush it, but…" She stared down at a random spot on the magazine page she'd stopped on when Aria had asked her question. Her brow was furrowed in deep thought. "You know, sometimes life comes up and slaps you in the face with things, and I feel like it did that to me with Hardy. I never saw us getting married before; at least not until I realized what it would be like without him, on Halloween. And I don't want to spend another minute more than I have to without him."

Aria smiled. "Sometimes that's how I feel about things with Ezra."

Adriana nodded, turning the page of the magazine. "As you should. Otherwise I'd be discontent about your placement in my brother's life."

Aria thumbed through the magazine in front of her silently for a few moments, surprised when Adriana looked back up at her to speak once more.

"I'm…sorry," she said, stirring the straw in her frappaccino. "I know I say things sometimes that aren't necessarily right. And I love you to pieces, I just hate the idea that anyone ever might come into Ezra's life and flatten him like Jackie did. He was so sure of their future and then she cheated. And of course there was that whole mess with the car accident. I swear, when I found out she tried to break you two up last year, I wanted to put **her **through a car window."

Aria chuckled. "Well she's not coming to affect our relationship anymore, so I don't think we have to worry about that. And I promise, I will not be like Jackie ever. If I have anything to say about it, I'm never letting Ezra go."

_-  
>Winter left a cover that I'm gonna end up under<br>__But I've got my boots  
>-<em>

"Your sister is going to make us old and gray before either of us is thirty," Aria announced as she settled against the pillows later that night in bed.

Ezra chuckled straightening the thermal shirt he had on. The weather was due to drop below zero, threatening an extra day of vacation and also bringing with it, the chance of very cold nights. "You're just now figuring that out? You've known her almost a year."

"She picked out three hundred dollar shoes to walk down the aisle in," Aria said, aghast. "Who blows three hundred dollars on shoes that you're probably only going to wear once!?"

Ezra shrugged, shaking his head. "I still struggle to understand why you spend sixty dollars on boots."

Aria scowled at him. "I wear my boots year-round, thank you very much. And I'm pretty sure that satchel you've got in the back of the closet cost a pretty penny too. When do you ever use that?"

"It's an antique!" He insisted. "I use it for special occasions."

Aria giggled, shaking her head. They were most certainly at an impasse on the subject, and she knew better than to push it. It was fun to joke in the playful zone, but much further, and they were actually going to be arguing.

She turned over and curled her arm behind her head, looking over at Ezra. "Do you think they'll really go through with it?"

Ezra shrugged, reaching a hand up to twirl a finger around one of her strands of hair. "Who knows. I mean I've known Hardy for over five years, and I've known my sister since the day she was born, but that doesn't really mean anything in the current situation. I've seen Hardy fuck up a good thing in the past, and after the past few months with Adriana…Anything's possible."

Aria groaned, burying her face into her pillow. "That's not a good answer. The right answer is that they'll get married and live happily ever after so that we don't ever have to deal with their drama again."

Ezra chuckled, continuing to twirl a strand of her hair. "One would hope that we wouldn't have to go through that again."

Aria brushed her hair back out of her face as she looked back up at him. "I will **shoot **myself if I have to listen to Hardy wallow over how much he loves Adriana one more time."

"**You'll **shoot yourself?" Ezra laughed. "You weren't with him **every **day, listening to him talk about how in love with her he was, and how much he wished she would just 'wake up and realize'. I swear I wanted to vomit on a daily basis."

"Oh my god," Aria laughed, shaking her head. "We need to pick better friends."

Ezra nodded, a smile still playing on his face. "Yeah, probably. But then, what friend am I ever going to find that's going to understand how nuts my sister is better than Hardy?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Aria muttered after moment. "Okay keep Hardy around to keep me sane."

Ezra gaped at her. "I was talking about for me!"

They continued to talk for over an hour before Ezra fell asleep. Aria tried to as well, but instead found herself lying awake, bored.

When she grew bored of lying in the dark staring at the ceiling, she sat up on the bed and retrieved her laptop from the floor. She settled it on her lap before opening the lid and turning it on.

Once it was loaded up, she opened up her web browser and instant messenger, and quickly found herself on her Social Page. There were plenty of photos from the holidays that were still being posted, and she hadn't had much time since new years to see any of them.

Hanna's name was the first one to pop up on her newsfeed with a picture of she and Caleb. Aria clicked on her name, and Hanna's page quickly loaded.

Her profile photo looked to be some type of glamour shot, but Aria recognized it as the photos Ashley had gotten taken with Hanna earlier in the semester. Aria tapped her down arrow, and the page moved upwards a bit, bringing Hanna's posts into view. She clicked on the picture that Hanna had posted.

It was the photo of she and Caleb from apparently earlier in the day. They were sitting on the couch in Hanna's living room, and though she was on her own seat, her legs were on his lap and Caleb's arm was wrapped around her shoulders.

Aria laughed quietly as she scrolled own and saw the post.

_Hanna Marin: TLS: True Love Stays. _

She quickly tapped the 'like' button, reading through the comments posted under it.

_**Spencer Hastings: only YOU would take a club name about abstinence and turn it into a joke. **_

_**Hanna Marin: PSAHAL: Professor Spencer Always Has A Lecture. **_

_**Spencer Hastings: I do not. **_

_**Emily Fields: *coughs* Yes you do. Sorry, Spence. On the other hand, at least Hanna knows the different between stays and states now. **_

_**Hanna Marin: EMILY!**_

_**Mona Vanderwaal: You girls should sell these conversations. You could do well. **_

_Caleb Rivers likes this post. _

Aria shook her head as she clicked out of the photo and continued to read Hanna's newsfeed. When she finished, she made her way over to Spencer's page. Hanna had clearly gotten her revenge, as was evidenced by the first post on the feed. It was by Hanna, with a picture from the previous summer. Toby was standing on the top of a scaffolding, smiling down at the camera. The tagline above the photo read: _Dear Spencer, TLS: TRUE LOVE SCAFFOLDS. _

Toby had only made it worse by liking Hanna's post, continuing in the teasing of Spencer and her morals.

She looked to Spencer's profile picture, which seemed to be new as well. Based on the size of the baby girl she was holding, Aria figured it was safe to assume that it was baby Taylor that she was holding. She was dressed in a red Christmas dress, while Spencer had on a white v-neck sweater.

She'd be lying if it didn't surprise her how much Spencer's relationship with Melissa had changed since Taylor had been born. The idea that Melissa had a tame side had seemed to become more relevant more time she spent with the baby. It was something that surprised Aria, given that there had been a point and time when Melissa treated Spencer and her friends like mud on her shoe.

There were more photos of Spencer with Taylor, and even more of Spencer and Melissa. There were also a few of Spencer and Toby, and Aria was happy to see that Spencer looked happy in each and every one of them. She left comments on a few of them before finally making her way over to Emily's profile.

Her photos were just as cheerful, if not more tame. From what Aria could see, it looked like she had spent New Years with Paige at a party, though she wasn't sure which. Aria also knew that several of her classmates were notorious for throwing ragers, up to and including, Noel Kahn.

She returned to her own page a few minutes later, and sifted her way through the pictures that she and Adriana had posted in the past few days. There were photos from Christmas day that had been taken when she and Adriana had decided to attempt making apple pie from scratch. There ended up being a large mess of flour on the floor by the time they'd finished, and an impromtu fight with the flour that led to the both of them scrubbing it off the floor while Ezra and Hardy mocked them, and quickly found themselves also covered in flour.

There were also a few photos from new years, though Aria wasn't as fond as them. Along with the fact that there had been arguing that night, the lighting in most of the photos was either too dark or way too bright, and caused all of the photos to look like crap. In the end, she'd only kept a few from that night, most of which were taken after midnight.

An instant message lit up her screen a moment later, and she clicked her web browser down so that she could see it. She smiled at the message on it.

**HastyHastings: never regret something that once made you smile. **

**ShadesOfGreyxx: feeling philosophical tonight, Spence? **

A set of dots filled the bottom of her IM, indicating that Spencer was typing. She waited a few moments before a new IM popped up on the screen.

**HastyHastings: I don't know. I guess. Haven't really heard from you since the other day, and you said you were fighting with Ezra then. Is everything okay now? **

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Yeah, just a little tiff. Arguing over stupid stuff. How're you? **

**HastyHastings: I'm great. I'm hanging out with the cutest baby in the world. Wanna see? **

Aria chuckled and considered the option for a moment before typing back an affirmative answer. Spencer sent her a video chat invitation a moment later, and Aria turned down her sound before typing in her IM once more.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: can't talk out loud. Ezra is sleeping. **

Spencer nodded as the video chat lit up, acknowledging Aria's reply. From what Aria could see, Spencer was in her bedroom, with what looked like a desk lamp on nearby. She leaned out of frame for a moment, and when she returned, Taylor was giggling cheerfully in her arms. Aria smiled, waving at the screen as if the baby would actually understand what was going on.

Spencer waved Taylor's arm at the screen, bouncing her a bit before someone else appeared on the edge of the frame and leaned down to take Taylor. Her face came into view, and Aria realized it was Melissa. She waved and then walked away.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: She's getting so big! Can't believe she's already four months!**

**HastyHastings: Tell me about it. She was so tiny when she was born and now she's squirming like crazy! It seems like just yesterday she was coming home. Now she's rolling over!**

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Wow. That's so cool. **

It was quiet for a few moments before she began typing again.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Does it ever make you think about how you might want kids? You know, five or ten years from now? **

**HastyHastings: Maybe. Or, y'know, Melissa can just keep having them.**

**ShadesOfGreyxx: She'll need another baby-daddy to do that. **

**HastyHastings: Didn't I tell you? She's dating a guy in her socio-economics class. She brought him to the new years party my parents had at the house. **

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Really? :O**

**HastyHastings: Really, really, Donkey. **

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Ha. Ha. Ha. The fact that you're referencing Shrek just shows your age. That movie has been out for almost a decade. **

**HastyHastings: I'll get Caleb to send you a computer virus for sass like that. **

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Not if I get him to send YOU one first. He likes me better cause I got him and Hanna scones for Christmas and he said they were, and I quote "ahhhhmuuuuuhzing." **

**HastyHastings: He was embellishing. Didn't want to hurt your feelings and all that good stuff. **

Aria struggled to keep her laughter to herself, and threw a hand over her mouth when Ezra suddenly shifted, rolling over on the bed so that he was facing away from her.

When she managed to get a handle on herself, she returned her fingers to the keyboard.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: You're a terrible friend, you know that? Best friends are supposed to make their friends feel good, not bad.**

**HastyHastings: Hypocrite. Your video chat is still open on my computer. I saw you laughin. **

Aria couldn't contain her laughter as well as she read what Spencer said in reply. When she finally managed to, she stuck her tongue out at the camera and wrinkled her nose, feigning a snotty face at Spencer.

**HastyHastings: So mature. Ezra must love being a teacher sometimes.**

**ShadesOfGreyxx: HEY! **

**HastyHastings: I've always wondered if you two ever got it on at school. Or in his office at Hollis. **

Aria shook her head as she chuckled at Spencer. Whether or not it had ever happened at Hollis, she had the perfect answer for Spencer.

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Well, do you really want to know? **

**HastyHastings: Didn't I just say that? **

**ShadesOfGreyxx: …**

**ShadesOfGreyxx: Too bad. Because now you never will. HA! I WIN. **


	18. This Goes To Everyone

_Chapter 18_

_This Goes To Everyone_

Aria snatched a handful of chips from the bag in the middle of the island and pulled them towards her as she flipped a page in her English textbook. She popped a chip in her mouth as she read over the short story her class had read a few weeks earlier. They were reading about memoirs, and Ella had mentioned that they'd be reviewing some of the reading on the final exam.

"More red bull?" Spencer asked as she grabbed a can from the fridge.

Aria popped her head up. "I'll take one."

Spencer grabbed another from the fridge and then walked back over to the island and passed one of the cans to Aria before she turned her attention to her calculus book. Aria popped the can open and took a long drink before she settled it on the counter and then dropped her arms over her textbook and let her head fall against them.

Spencer, Hanna, and Emily each looked up from their own homework, surprised by the sudden movement. Hanna lifted up a sheet of Aria's hair and raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Something wrong?"

Aria looked up at her and then lifted her had up into her hand, resting her chin on her palm. "I feel like all I do is go to school, go to work, go home, and study. I'm seventeen. What happened to my life?"

"You got all domestic," Hanna said bluntly.

"Hanna!" Emily and Spencer scolded lightly.

"She's right," Aria said dejectedly.

"Aria-" Emily tried, but Aria cut her off.

"No, no. She is. I'm living this life in this little corner of the world with Ezra, and Adriana, and Hardy, and I feel like I'm digging myself into a rut. I mean I'm seventeen, and I'm living like I'm in my thirties and married."

Spencer's brow furrowed. "So…I mean, are you saying… Saying you want to break up-"

Aria whipped her head quickly. "No! No, no. I just… I want to be seventeen for five minutes." She sighed a moment later and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm whining. I'm gonna shut up now and do my homework."

She tilted her head back down, but Hanna, Emily, and Spencer continued to look at each other, silently communicating about what they should do. Finally, Spencer turned back to Aria.

"What if we did like a girls weekend in Philadelphia after finals?" Spencer asked.

Aria looked up from her textbook, considering it for a moment. "I have to work that Saturday, but I could switch hours with someone."

She pushed away from the table a moment later and announced that she was going to the bathroom, leaving the other three sitting at the table.

"What happened to the four of us being best friends," Spencer growled at Hanna and Emily.

Hanna shrugged, cowering slightly at the comment. "She said it! She spends all her time with Ezra and his sister now."

"We've all been busy," Spencer insisted. "The holidays, and she had her whole emancipation thing…And admittedly, when you get to know Adriana, she's fun to be around."

"Still," Emily interjected. "I love Aria, too. But she's always busy now when we make plans."

"Is this how we're going to be then?" Spencer asked. "When we all leave in a few months? Just put each other off and say that we don't matter to each other anymore because we're too busy studying for school? I mean, we're all going to colleges in different places, and I can understand why Aria's so busy lately."

"We're not saying she isn't, Spence. But she's always with them now. It seems more like it's like that because she **wants **it to be, than because she can't get away. We don't fit into her life anymore." Hanna replied.

"A part of me **does **want to be there."

Emily, Hanna and Spencer all looked up simultaneously to see Aria standing in the doorway from the bathroom. They each gulped, obviously nervous about being caught.

"And I don't feel bad for it either," Aria continued. "Ezra and Adriana are going to be my family. Hardy's a really good friend since I've been able to get to know him. And Ezra and I live together. I don't spend every single minute with them because I hate you guys or don't think you're worth my time; I do it because lately that's what has been asked of me."

"Aria-" Spencer tried.

Aria shook her head, walking over to the table. She picked up her books and closed them before turning her attention back to her friends. She looked at Emily. "No one told you that you were too busy for us to include you in our lives anymore when everything happened with Maya and your mom insisted you spend more time with your family."

She turned to Hanna. "And no one has **ever **said anything to you when you cancel on us because Mona wants to go shopping or Caleb wants to hang out, and we don't see you for a week." She paused for a moment, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "So I'm going to go, and keep in mind that this is how you guys feel."

She walked over to the door and then exited the house, only to be chased out by Spencer.

"Aria, please don't leave. I don't feel the same way they do." Spencer begged. "They just don't get it."

Aria turned around and looked at Spencer, holding her keys tightly in her hand as she opened the driver's door to her car. "I know that they don't get it, Spencer. But I would never go behind one of their backs with the other and tell them they shouldn't be included in group activities. We've never been like that."

Spencer nodded. "I know. I think it's because of college applications going out and everything starting to feel real. I know it's not a real excuse, but…Just please, **please **think about going to Philadelphia with us after finals. You and I can share a room instead of the four of us sharing one."

Aria chewed on the inside of her bottom lip for a moment. "I'll think about it."

"And we'll do something in the next few days," Spencer added. "I promise, you have friends outside of living with Ezra and always hanging out with Adriana and Hardy."

Aria smiled. "Thanks, Spence."

Spencer nodded and hugged her. "And keep studying," she commanded when they'd parted. "It'll look good when those administrators look at your applications for scholarships and see that you have amazing grades."

_-  
>Hey, now I found my own way; dug out of my own grave<br>__This goes to everyone, hey watch, I'll never come  
>-<em>

Aria stared at the dress in front of her with her arms crossed in front of her, holding her coat against her body between them as she watched Adriana talk with the saleswoman about a dress she had her eye on. The bodice had thin straps and a scooping neckline that clung close to the body. It was made of lace while the skirt had layers that was ultimately topped off with a layer of silk. It was a gorgeous dress, though not entirely what Aria would've picked for herself.

Adriana walked over to her, smiling cheerfully. "Did you find anything you like?"

Aria shrugged. "There are some cute dresses."

Adriana bumped her shoulder against Aria's. "There wasn't even **one** you liked better than the others? I mean I know everything I want in my wedding except for bridesmaids dresses. I figured you could pick yourself."

Aria raised an eyebrow at her. "You didn't pick bridesmaid dresses?"

Adriana shook her head. "I'm not the one wearing it. Why should I tell you what you're supposed to wear? I don't have to wear it. I wouldn't expect you to let me pick our your wedding dress."

Aria giggled, smiling. "I see your point. But don't you have other bridesmaids?"

Adriana nodded. "Danyelle, who I went to high school with, and Valerie. She's Hardy's baby sister."

"And they don't have opinions on bridesmaid dresses?" Aria asked.

Adriana wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "They do, but they both live in New York. Valerie is a senior like you, and Danyelle goes to Columbia. She may very well be the most serious person I know. She's pre-law, and she's just…she's like your friend Spencer, but to the extreme."

Aria's brow furrowed. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who hangs out with people who lack the understanding of laughter."

Adriana shook her head, laughing. "I'm not. To be totally honest, she was a big partier in high school. She was always out at the parties before I was, and she left after I did. But she got her life together, and I guess she lost her ability to laugh along the way. Anyway, I figured you could pick a few dresses out and then I'd send some pictures to the girls and see what they say."

Aria nodded, moving a few dresses on the rack in front of her.

"So why did you really call me today?" Adriana asked as she began to look at the dresses as well. "Because I know that we're close and all, but I know you don't like spending every weeknight together. And considering we've been studying for finals with each other every week, I can't see you wanting to hang out with me while I look at wedding dresses."

Aria shrugged. "I didn't have anything else to do."

Adriana rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Sure. C'mon Aria. I've known you for almost a year."

Aria sighed and shook her head, pausing on a yellow dress. "My friends think that I think I'm better than them because I'm always with you guys now."

Adriana's brow furrowed and she pursed her lips, obviously not in agreement with what Aria was saying. "That's pretty shitty of them to say. I know you well enough to know that you don't think you're better than anyone. Except for maybe Jackie."

Aria chuckled and shook her head, looking back up at Adriana for a moment. "I just hate that they think those things. I don't feel that way. My friends are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

Adriana smiled comfortingly. "Well I'm sure they'll come around. You're all in a bit of a tough situation right now as it is. Finals and then graduation…Six months from now, you're all leaving to different cities. That can't be an easy thing to face."

Aria sighed again, nodding. "That's one thing you're right about."

Adriana looked back up at her a moment later. "Oh! Speaking of…didn't you get your test scores back this week from the SATs?"

Aria smiled once more. "Yeah. I got 2210."

"That's so great!" Adriana squealed. Her phone buzzed in her pocket a moment later, and she looked down at it before looking back up at Aria. "I have to take this, but you keep looking."

Aria nodded and watched Adriana as she walked away. As she did, she noticed something odd about Adriana's behaviour, but she shrugged it off as she continued to look through the various dresses.

After about twenty minutes, she'd settled on two dresses. One was a soft lavender evening gown with spaghetti straps. It laced up the back and came with a shawl. The other was black with a silver sash that wrapped around the back.

When Adriana returned to the other side of the store, she snapped pictures of both and then sent them off to her other bridesmaids before speaking briefly to the saleswoman about them before she and Aria headed out of the boutique.

"Anybody interesting on the phone?" Aria asked as they headed across the parking lot. She tugged her coat on and zipped it up.

Adriana looked up at her with a slightly alarmed expression, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "No, no. It was just a friend asking about wedding details. She's helping to secure the hall I want."

Aria stared at Adriana for a few moments longer than she needed to, once again questioning to herself whether Adriana really meant what she was saying, but she shrugged it off once more as they reached their cars. As they did, Adriana walked a bit further to her own car and then turned back towards Aria.

"Are we still studying tomorrow night?"

Aria nodded. "Always. I'll bring the refreshments."

Adriana smiled. "And I'll make cake pops."

_-  
>We're not so different, you and me<br>__Behind our courage, we're both struggling underneath  
>-<em>

Aria yawned as she closed her botany textbook, having reviewed everything that was to be on the final so much that her head felt like her head was going to explode. She reached forward and grabbed her cup of coffee off the table, and snatched a cake pop off the plate next to it with her other hand.

She watched Adriana for a few moments as she chewed. The older girl's brow was furrowed in determined concentration as she continuously ran the eraser of her pencil back and forth over her left brow. Still, Aria had noticed several times in the past two hours how she seemed to stop every few minutes and dodge a glare at her phone as if she expected it to suddenly go off.

Once she'd swallowed the bite of her cake pop and then washed down any remaining cake with a sip of her macchiato, she settled the cup back on the table and dropped her legs on her chair so that they were curled under her instead of in front of her.

"Are you cheating on Hardy or something?" She asked blatantly.

Adriana's head whipped up, clearly surprised by Aria's question. "Where in the **world **would you get that idea?"

Aria shrugged. "You keep looking at your phone like it's got dirt on you, and it might give it up at any moment."

Adriana chewed her bottom lip for a moment before she looked up at Aria again. "Can I trust you to keep a secret? I promise I'm not cheating."

Aria considered the question for a moment. The look on Adriana's face didn't lend any indication that the secret was one that could put either of them in danger. On the other hand, she really hated keeping any kind of secret ever since Maya. She chewed her own lip for a long minute before finally nodding.

Adriana looked back down at her phone once more and then looked up at Aria. "I **have **been talking to a guy, but…" She inhaled a deep breath. "It's my dad- Well, Ezra's and my dad."

Aria's eyes grew wide with shock and surprise. Of the dozen or so theories that had run through her head in the last two minutes, that had not been one of them. It had been the last thing she expected, especially after the stories she'd heard from Ezra in the past about his father.

"I guess he's kept tabs on my and Ezra's life," Adriana continued. "He said he saw on my SocialPage that I was engaged, and then he looked me up. We've been talking for a few weeks."

It took Aria a few minutes before she managed to gather enough of herself to say something back. "D-does Ezra know?"

Adriana shook her head. "I want to tell him when the time is right. I know he's got his own reservations about our father, and I understand. But, I mean, I'm getting married in a few months. If I could have my father there…If I could have my father back in my life…"

Aria inhaled a deep breath, trying to think over what to say. One part of her wanted to be the supportive best friend that took Adriana's side, but the side of her that had been with Ezra for nearly a year and a half couldn't freely go into that territory knowing the things she knew.

"Adriana…"

"I know what you're thinking," Adriana said. "And I know how my father was with my mom and Ezra, but he's changed, Aria. He wants to be a part of our lives. And I want to know my father."

Aria stared at her for a few moments longer and then stood and walked into the bathroom.

_-  
>The sacrifice I make is more or less for dramatic effect<br>__The front door of your home; yeah some roads are paved in gold  
>-<em>

"_So what did you do?" _

Aria curled her feet up under her, holding her phone against her shoulder as she grabbed another cake pop from the plate on the coffee table. She held the TV remote in her other hand and rolled through the channels.

"I got up and left the room," she replied. "When I was sure I wasn't going to scream at her, I walked back in and said you were coming over to help with homework."

"_Do you think she knows you're upset with her?" _Spencer asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that I have no interest in meeting the guy who used to beat the hell out of my boyfriend. I mean if you had the choice, would you go back and not meet Jenna?"

"_Oh please, if that was an option, I would've jumped on it as soon as Toby said 'I love you'." _

"Exactly," Aria replied. "You know Ezra told me that when he was a kid, his father got mad at him one night for throwing a tantrum when he couldn't go to a friends house, and his dad beat him with a leather belt?"

"_Seriously?" _Spencer's voice came back over the line, appalled.

"I've seen the scars on his side from it," Aria replied. "Serena made him leave like three days after that."

"_And Adriana wants to let this guy back into her life? I mean is she touched in the head?" _

"Spence!" Aria laughed. "I get what you mean, though. I don't think it's anything like that. I think she's-…She wants to believe the best in him. I think she wants to believe that he's as good as she and Ezra, and her mom are, but-"

"_They're the way they are because of their mom," _Spencer finished before Aria could.

Aria exhaled heavily and shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip. "I just wish she could see that. I get the feeling she's got this starry-eyed feeling about it all, and I don't see it ending the way she wants it to."

"_So what're you going to do about it?" _Spencer asked.

"I don't know," Aria whined. "I really want to tell Ezra, but I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone. I don't know who I'm betraying more."

"_Hmm…lying to your boyfriend or betraying your friend…well either way you're just trying to protect them, so I'd say whatever you do, make sure you feel sure about it." _

The front door opened and Aria jumped. "I've got to go. Call me later."

"_Alright,_" Spencer replied before Aria disconnected the call. Ezra walked into the room a few moments later and dropped his bag on one of the chairs at the table before walking over by Aria and dropping down into the spot next to her.

"Longest. Meeting. Ever." He said, exhausted.

Aria turned on the couch to face him and brushed her fingers over his fringe. "Something important?"

Ezra rolled his eyes, looking over at her. "Arguments over budgetary restraints. The mathematics department is throwing a fit because the English department was given a grant from the state and it's being spent on the English department."

Aria chuckled. "And that took four hours to argue over?"

Ezra shook his head. "It took four hours for the dean to find the paperwork that says the grant is specifically supposed to be used for the English department."

"I'm sorry, baby," Aria murmured. She leaned down and kissed him chastely.

Ezra sat there for a few moments after with his eyes closed, trying to relax somewhat before Aria spoke again.

"Did you at least get to eat?" She asked.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "No. I'm starving."

Aria chuckled and gestured towards the table. "Cake pop?"

Ezra smiled wearily and reached forward to grab one before he stood and walked into the kitchen. "Adriana was here, wasn't she? What'd you two eat?"

Aria pressed her lips together for a moment. "Y-yeah. We ordered Chinese. There's some leftover dirty rice and egg rolls."

Ezra walked back into the doorway and leaned against the wall as he waited for his food to heat up. "Why do you look like you're terrified of what might come out of your mouth?"

Aria stared past him for several minutes, not sure how to answer him. She honestly didn't know if she was better off telling him the truth or keeping it to herself. And furthermore, she was afraid that if she did open her mouth, she'd tell him the truth before she had decided whether it was the right thing to do.

The microwave beeped several times in the next room, but Ezra walked over to her instead, more concerned with the fact that something was obviously bothering Aria. He sat down where he'd been seated earlier and draped his arm behind her. "Are you okay? Did something happen at school today?"

Aria stared into his eyes for another minute. All the things he'd ever told her about his father crawled back into her psyche, and reminded her of how he'd acted when he told her those things. She remembered the look on his face when she'd found out that he hadn't told his mother about them.

"How'd you get the watch from your father? You said the one you got for graduation was from him-" Her words were rushed, but she was trying to piece her own thought process together.

"He sent it to my mother," Ezra replied slowly. "Why?"

Aria looked him back in the eyes, thinking more clearly. "So you haven't seen him since you were a kid? Since he left you and your mom and Adriana?"

"No," Ezra said, growing even more confused. "Why? What does he have to do with anything?"

Aria stared at him nervously for a few moments longer. She knew if she crossed the line she was currently straddling, there would be no going back. It was also possible that Adriana might never forgive her if Ezra's reaction wasn't good. But she knew where her loyalties laid, and she couldn't go against them.

"Adriana told me today that she's been talking to him."

She was quiet for a few seconds to let what she'd said sink in for Ezra before she continued.

"She said that he found out she was engaged and got in touch with her, and that they've been talking. She claimed that he kept up on both your lives even though he wasn't in them and that he's changed."

Her words trailed off into nothing as she watched Ezra's eyes darken and rage began to take the place of confusion. She'd only seen his expression so dark on a small amount of occasions, and she could count them on one hand.

"That man isn't capable of change," he said in a cold tone.

"She didn't want me to tell you," Aria spoke softly. "She said she wanted to tell you when the time was right, but I can't keep this from you in good faith and honestly believe that one or both of you won't end up hurt."

Ezra shook his head looking at her. She could see that he was trying not to let his anger get the best of him and take it out on her. "Don't be sorry for telling me. She should've told me the minute he called her. She should've known better than to let him back into her life."

Aria watched as Ezra shoved up from where he was sitting next to her and began to pace. She wrapped her arms around her legs as she did so, and rested her chin on them. "So you really don't think he's capable of changing?"

Ezra whipped his head back to look at her as he momentarily stopped pacing, and his hard glare answered her question. "Aria, he cuffed my hands to a banister so that I couldn't away while he was beating me with his belt! No, I don't think he's capable of changing into anything resembling a decent human being. If he's around right now it's because he wants something. He's a god-damned snake in the grass, preparing to strike."

Aria chewed hard on her bottom lip, trying to fight the knot in her throat and the tears in her eyes at what he'd just told her. She wasn't sure if the tears were because of what Ezra's father had done to him or if they were because she didn't feel as if they were safe anymore. At the heart of it all, she was sure it was a culmination of things, and she hated it. Most of all, she wanted to scream at Adriana for ever opening her life up to the man.

Ezra trembled with anger as he finally stopped pacing and dug into his pocket for his phone. Aria made no movement to stop him as he dialed his sister's number. When it went to voicemail, he ended the call and then called Hardy's number instead. The volume on his phone was turned up enough that she could hear when the other line picked up. Ezra quickly spoke before Hardy had the chance.

"Where is she?"

"_Ezra, she's already pissed."  
><em>

"Put her on the damn phone, Hardy," he growled back.

There was silence in the seconds that followed, and Aria wasn't sure if it was because Hardy wasn't speaking loud enough, or if he was actually doing what Ezra wanted. She received her answer when she finally heard Adriana's voice over the silence.

"_What?" _Her voice was angry, but Aria wasn't sure she actually knew why Ezra was calling.

"Are you a fucking dolt?" He growled into the phone. "I mean really, are you so incompetent that you would make the stupidest god-damn decision on the planet and let that man back into your life?"

The other end of the phone line was only quiet for the briefest period before Aria heard her reply. _"I should've known I couldn't trust her to keep her mouth shut." _

"**Don't**even go there, Addy." Ezra growled. His voice was raw and cracked with emotion. "You're probably a hell of a lot better off that she did. I can't believe you'd be so damn stupid-"

_"You don't __**know**__ him, Ezra! You haven't talked to him or seen him, or-"  
><em>

"So you haven't just spoken to him," he argued back.

"_No, I've seen him too," _Adriana replied. Aria's eyebrows raised in surprise at the confession.

Ezra was silent for so long after her confession that Aria wondered if the call was still connected. Adriana must have wondered too, because she heard the older girl's voice come over the phone line, asking if he was still there. After a long second, Ezra finally spoke.

"If you're so god-damned dumb that you want that man to rip your life apart like he would've done if mom had stayed with him, then I hope you enjoy the misery that comes with it."

He pulled the phone away from his ear a few moments after that as he walked over to the couch and sat back down. Aria watched his glare as he stared down at the device in his hand, and she could see that he was ready to throw it.

She took it from his hands and settled it on the table before moving forward on the couch. She draped one of her legs over his, resting it between them. She reached to turn his face towards her, but he yanked her hand down, away from his face.

"Aria don't-" He growled as he glared at her briefly.

"Ezra-" She fought back.

"Don't-"

"**Stop**," She said insistently, placing her hand on his face and making him turn to look at her. She could see all the conflicting emotions in his eyes and how angry and hurt he was. She bit down on the inside of her bottom lip as she brushed her thumb back and forth against his jaw. "Don't lock all this up."

She could see the pain in his eyes before the tears came, and she wanted so badly to rewind several hours back into the evening to shake some sense into Adriana. She'd left the room to keep from hurting her friends' feelings, but she couldn't believe that she had been so selfish as to go about doing something she knew would hurt her brother.

She brushed her fingers through Ezra's hair and was quiet as she let him process the emotions running through him, saying nothing else. Nothing really needed to be said.

After a few minutes, he pulled himself together enough that he pulled away from her, and looked up at her. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you," he said gruffly. "And I'm sorry about this. I'm sorry my sister made such a stupid choice. You did the right thing, telling me."

Aria shook her head, brushing her thumbs under his eyes to wipe away the tears. "I just hate that he could do this to you. I hate that she's put you in a position where you have to see him again."

Ezra shook his head. "The only way I'll ever see that man again is to tell him to get the hell out of my family's life. I want nothing to do with him, and if he's at my sister's wedding, we won't be."

Aria didn't say anything back on the subject, because she knew how things could change amongst family members when effort was made amongst them. Regardless of his choice, she would stand by Ezra just as he had stood by her when she'd had her issues with her parents. And she knew Adriana well enough to know that the older girl wouldn't hold a permanent grudge against her. She knew ultimately that if Ezra truly was right about their father, Adriana would eventually find herself in the position of apologizing, if not also thanking Aria for speaking up. Either way, only time would tell.


	19. Wondering If You'd Ever Come Back To Me

__**A/N: **I'M SO SORRY! I didn't mean to take so long to get this up. With NaNoWriMo going on, I just have been completely focused on that story, and my whole life has just been a total mess lately. I swear that this story WILL be finished along with Lonely Ones. I know you guys worry I won't finish them, but they ARE in progress. I will NOT let these stories go. I hope to get more up soon, just bare with me :)

_Chapter 19_

_Wondering If You'd Ever Come Back To Me_

Aria watched the sun come up onto the horizon from her spot on the window sill as she let her phone rest in her lap, music playing through her headphones as she stared out at the start of the bustling through the city.

She felt pretty good about her final exams. There had only been a few answers that she hadn't been entirely sure of among her seven classes, which gave her a comforting blanket that she kept attempting to cover over increasing anger and frustration with Adriana. In the week since the revelation had come out about Ezra's father, things had only grown more tense. They had barely seen Hardy, and Adriana outright refused to speak to Aria or Ezra.

In a sense, she supposed she understood. Adriana had confided something in her, and she'd gone against that. And Ezra had been less than cordial with his response in finding out about his father's reappearance, but she still had trouble feeling bad about it when she could so easily recall Ezra's reaction when she'd told him.

The music pulsed in her ears as another song kicked in.

"_storms 'a comin', rain is pouring  
><em>_Clouds are rolling, hanging over me  
><em>_Feels like I don't know anything…"_

Her music was low enough that she heard Spencer groan a few moments later, and she turned in time to see her best friend push up from where she was tucked under her blankets.

"Did you sleep at all?" Spencer asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Aria nodded, pulling her ear buds out of her ears. She turned over the music and unplugged the headphones. "Restlessly, but I managed to get some sleep."

Spencer moved off the bed and walked over to the window sill. She moved up onto it and crossed her long legs out in front of her next to Aria. "I think what's she's doing is such crap."

Aria chewed on her bottom lip, looking back out the window. "I do too, even though I understand why she feels the way she does. She wants everything to be perfect and have everything in her wedding like a fairytale, but I don't see it happening. Not if she wants Ezra there too."

"What does Hardy think?" Spencer asked.

Aria shook her head; the expression of discontent staying on her face as she looked back up at Spencer. "He doesn't like it. I mean he probably knows more than I do about their dad, considering he lived with Ezra for four years. He knows that Ezra's never liked the man."

"And what about you?"

Aria shrugged her shoulders. "I'm inclined to believe what my boyfriend tells me and form an opinion from that until or unless I should meet the man. I don't really want to when I think about everything Ezra had told me."

Spencer nodded. She moved off the window sill a moment later when there was knocking on the door that joined their room to the room that Hanna and Emily had stayed in. They walked into the room, both carrying something. Very quickly, Aria's eyes fell on the tray of coffees Hanna was holding while Emily held a bag of food. They walked into the room and Hanna walked over to Aria. Aria reached into the tray and grabbed the cup that had her name labeled on it before thanking Hanna and taking a long sip from it.

She hadn't talked much to her friends about what had happened at Spencer's house since the initial argument, although both Hanna and Emily had apologized for the comments they had made. She knew that logically she would've stayed angry longer if it hadn't been for the fact that Adriana had caused the current disturbance in her life, and she needed to vent to more than just Spencer. The last thing she wanted to do lately was hang out at the apartment, because when she wasn't alone, she was either arguing with Adriana or listening to Ezra argue with Adriana. After a few days it was too irritating to hear anymore.

"I got breakfast burritos," Emily said as she walked over by them. Spencer followed next to her and sat back down on the window sill next to Aria after grabbing a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito for herself.

Aria's phone began to buzz on the sill near Spencer's feet. She picked it up and stared at the screen for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. Before she could do anything else though, Spencer snatched the phone from her hand and dismissed the call.

"Spencer-"

"No," Spencer argued. "You're having a weekend away from being an adult. You're taking time with your friends, and you're not going to let that **child** throw another argument at you because she has nothing better to do, and her brother won't budge on his opinion."

Aria opened her mouth to argue more, but Hanna chimed in, taking the phone from Spencer's hand.

"She's right. You shouldn't be tying yourself down to taking her calls and listening to her when all she wants to do is argue and tell you how bad of a person she thinks you are. That's not fair." Hanna added.

Aria sighed. "If this were any one of you that I had gone against, the three of you would be yelling at me."

Spencer shook her head. "I told you if Toby came to me and told me that one of his parents used to beat on him and then Jenna wanted to bring that person back into their lives, I'd be furious. And while she may not actually be hitting you, she's certainly treating you like her own personal punching bag because you made a choice that she didn't agree with."

"You're literally saying I wasn't wrong," Aria replied.

"Who cares," Emily interjected finally.

Aria turned to look at her. Her brow was knit in confusion at the comment.

"Yeah," Emily continued. "I said who cares. It shouldn't matter if you were right or wrong, because you were in an **impossible** situation. Choosing between a friend and your boyfriend isn't fair, regardless of the situation. But you made the choice, and you've lived with the consequences for long enough. That doesn't mean that you should continue to."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Aria asked, leaning back against the wall behind her.

"Stop being a human punching bag," Hanna murmured. She looked up a moment later and looked over at Aria. "I'm serious. Half your problem is giving her the ammunition. You get passive and it gives her have the upper hand. I mean she seems like a great person, but she's obviously got that aggressive behavior, and it's not fair for her to lash out against you. Hell, the girl needs to grow up and act her age."

_-  
>Falling from cloud nine; crashing from the high<br>__I'm letting go tonight, yeah I'm falling from cloud nine  
>-<em>

Against her better judgment, Aria let her friends keep her phone from her for the better part of the rest of the weekend. She only answered it twice, both of which were when Ezra called to check in on her.

When she returned home Sunday evening, she had half a dozen bags filled with new clothes and more than her fair share of new photos that she'd taken over the weekend. It was late in the afternoon by the time she'd stuffed her new clothing into their proper places, but Ezra was still at Hollis, working to get things done that he'd put off in the last few weeks to help her prepare for finals and then give his own students their finals.

She sunk down onto her couch and brushed a hand through her hair as she brought up the display on her phone and tapped out a quick message to Ella before she reached for the TV remote and turned the TV on. She flipped through the channels for a while before eventually settling on one of the many crime shows that she enjoyed, and let it numb her mind until there was a knock on the door.

She pushed up from her spot on the couch and dropped the remote on the couch before walking over to the door and opening it. She forced a smile onto her face, and welcomed the hug that Ella offered her as she stepped through the door.

"I'm glad you called me this morning," Ella said as they headed into the apartment.

Aria shrugged as they walked into the small living space. She sunk down onto one of the chairs and pulled her right leg up onto the chair and wrapped her arm around it. Ella removed her jacket and sank down onto the arm of the couch, holding her coat in her arms.

"I know you don't usually call me to come over here unless something is seriously wrong, so what's up?" Ella asked.

Aria chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and gulped. She looked up at her mother a moment later and sighed. "I know you've always said that bullying is never right, but I don't know if what this is can be considered as bullying."

Ella's eyes widened. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Do you remember when we talked on Christmas break and I told you about all that stuff with Ezra's dad?"

Ella nodded, brushing a hand through her hair. "I told you it was heavy stuff to deal with, but yes, I remember."

Aria was quiet for a few moments longer before she finally spoke. "Adriana told me about two weeks ago that she's been speaking to him and seeing him. She asked me not to tell Ezra, but I did; because of the things that he shared with me. Now, she's furious. She keeps arguing with Ezra and I about the same things, and I don't know how to make it better, because it seems like yelling is **all **she wants to do."

Ella digested the information and was silent long enough to cause Aria to push up from her seat and start pacing. She reached out and grabbed Aria's arms to stop her.

"I think I raised you better than to let someone knock you down and treat you like mud on their shoes. You know the difference between someone struggling through a problem and someone outright bullying you, Aria."

Aria's shoulders dropped with defeat as her bottom lip became planted between her teeth. "So how do I fix it? I can't tell her she's evil and to leave me alone."

Ella considered the question for a few moments before answering. "I'm not involved in the situation whatsoever, and I don't know half the players in this game, but of what little I know, maybe the logical idea is to suggest arranging a meeting."

Aria opened her mouth, ready to spew off half a dozen reasons about why that would be a bad idea, but Ella continued.

"I know it doesn't seem like the likely option to solve your family problems, but maybe it'll answer questions. The way I see it, if this man truly has changed, Ezra needs to see it for himself so that he can decide what next step to take, and so do you. And if he hasn't, you both should still see him, because Ezra's sister may never realize that she's holding on to a pipe dream."

"So I should tell Ezra to talk to his father, who he hates?" Aria asked.

Ella's hands dropped down Aria's, and she squeezed her fingers lightly. "I think maybe suggesting it is where you should start. If he disagrees, then maybe ask why. If there's anything I've learned to understand about you two, it's that there's a method to all of your madness. I don't believe that either one of you would just make a decision about your lives without having a valid reason."

She could see the trepidation in Aria's face as she let go of her daughter's hands. She lifted her own hands and brushed Aria's hair out of her face. "Look, you don't have to make this decision tonight. You don't even have to make it tomorrow. Or maybe Ezra will make the decision himself. But you can't continue to let this girl walk all over you when all you were trying to do is protect the person you love. And I know I raised you better than to just lay down and take it when someone is treating you like crap."

Aria forced a smile onto her face. "Thank you, mom. Thank you for coming over here and talking me out of all my crazy. Thank you for not bailing on me even after I divorced my own family. Thank you for still loving me enough to take care of me when I'm sick, even though I don't live with you anymore," she laughed.

Ella smiled. "Aria, you have been my daughter since the day I brought you home from the hospital. Our whole family was coming apart at the seams, and I know you've carried this weight on your shoulders that you're the one who pulled it apart, but you didn't. We were coming apart long before you or I even knew about your father's affair. I think what you've done since then is commendable. You've continued on with your life, and you're making choices that – while they sometimes surprise me – continue to move your life forward in a healthy direction."

Aria's bottom lip trembled as she stared at her mother for several moments. "You don't think I'm risking ending up like you and dad?"

"I don't think you're anywhere **near** the mess that your father and I had created for ourselves when we got married. Your father and I got married because we were happy and committed. We didn't take the time to get to know each other in the ways that you and Ezra have. Hell, I hadn't even met his parents before he proposed." Ella paused for a moment, finally removing her hands from her daughter's face. "No. I think you and Ezra have managed to cultivate something healthy for yourselves. And that's amazing."

_-  
>I'm patching up my heart again every time it explodes<br>__Don't tell me that I've gone insane, I know  
>-<em>

Ezra rubbed his temple as he scrawled a large _B+ _across the top of the paper he'd just finished reading and then added it to the stack he'd finished. He looked up as the door opened across the room, and the sight of bright red pants brought a smile to his face.

"I still can't believe you wore those today," he chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.

Aria pulled the door shut behind her and walked over to the coffee table. She dropped her bag onto it and then walked over to Ezra. She pulled on her grey hoodie to straighten it as she walked over to him. Ezra pushed back from his desk as she came around the side of it and hopped on top of it.

"They're cute, and it looks good," she finally replied. "I had three different guys tell me I looked hot today."

Ezra laughed as he wrapped his hands around her calves and pulled her closer to him. Aria tilted her head down as she rested her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him.

"I might agree just a little bit," he murmured against her lips before his tongue brushed over her bottom lip and into her mouth.

Aria pulled away abruptly when the door opened behind her and whipped her head around. She had a terrible habit of worrying every time she and Ezra were in his office that her father was going to walk in with questions about the class he was still teaching with Ezra, and interrupt them, which would inevitably lead to an argument. It had happened in the past, and it was the last thing she wanted was to start arguing with someone else.

She was pleasantly surprised when she realized it was Hardy coming through the door. Aria lifted her hand and waved as Hardy pulled the door shut behind him.

"Feeling nuts yet?" Ezra asked as he leaned back in his chair.

Hardy sighed heavily. "You know, I love your sister, but I just want to throttle her neck lately. All I ever hear from her is how much she hates you two."

Ezra nodded and smirked slightly. "Yeah, I kind of hate her too."

Hardy huffed and shook his head as he dropped into one of the chairs in front of Ezra's desk. "This is **not **supposed to be how my life is going right now. I'm supposed to be planning my wedding and looking at apartments in Manhattan. Instead I'm dealing with a psycho who won't let me talk to my friends because she's decided they suck."

Ezra nodded again. "Sounds like my sister."

"Well she's fallen off her rocker," Hardy whined as he ran a hand through his sandy hair. "And she wants me to meet him."

Ezra raised an eyebrow as Aria moved off the desk. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap. She rested her arm around his neck.

"Are you going to?" He asked as Aria brushed her fingers loosely through his hair.

Hardy shook his head, heaving a sigh. "I don't know. She won't shut up about him supposedly being in New York next weekend, and how she wants us all to have dinner so that I can get to know him."

Ezra's jaw tightened. "What'd you say?"

Hardy rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I told her that I'd think about it. I can feel that she's building up to wanting him at our wedding, and I'd rather puke than see that happen. I can't consciously say yes to that when I know the things I know."

Aria chewed her bottom lip as silence dwelled over them. She had had multiple chances in the past twenty four hours to bring up what her mother had suggested, but she had yet to. Yet as her gaze drifted to Hardy, she could see the helplessness in his eyes, practically begging for help. She chewed on her lip for a moment longer before she spoke.

"What if we all went?"

Before she even looked down at Ezra, she could feel him stiffen beneath her with frustration. She inhaled a deep breath and then let her gaze drift back to him.

"Before you get angry, just hear me out. I'm not saying to let her win, but what if you gave it a chance? It could help her to realize that what she wants is impossible."

Ezra raised his eyebrows at her. "You think that agreeing to see that man is somehow going to make things better with my sister?"

"I realize it sounds crazy," she replied. "But either he's changed and you'll get to see it for yourself, or he hasn't, and Adriana will see with her own eyes that what she wants is never going to happen. And it will finally end **all **of this arguing."

She could see the disdain on Ezra's face, but she could also see that he was actually considering what she was offering. After about a minute, he finally nodded.

"Maybe your idea doesn't totally suck," he murmured. "But I swear to God, if he so much as lays a finger on any one of us, and she still has him in her wedding, I may not ever speak to her again."

Hardy shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "No. Because if that happens, there won't be a wedding. I'm sorry, but I'm not sacrificing my best man so that she can have a man she hasn't seen in more than a decade walk her down the aisle."

Ezra was about to reply, but his gaze drifted up towards his opened door. Adriana was standing just inside the room with her arms wrapped around her textbook.

"What's up?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I was just wondering if the three of you enjoy gossiping about me."

Aria sighed and moved off of Ezra's lap. "I'm not going to sit through another one of these." She leaned down and kissed Ezra quickly on the lips. "I'll see you later."

She walked over to the coffee table and grabbed her bag, but before she could make it to the door, Adriana turned towards her.

"Do you really have to meddle so much? I mean you say you're a good friend, but you don't know how to keep things to yourself. I **asked **you to keep it to yourself, and you went against that. How can you expect someone to trust you if you go against them and lie?"

Aria shook her head at Adriana as she shifted her bag on her shoulder. "You have no idea what it's like to be caught in the situation you put me in. And I know if you were put in this position that you would've done the same thing. It's one of the reasons I don't understand why you're doing this."

She didn't wait for Adriana to say anything else before she pushed past her and walked out of the room.

_-  
>I climbed a mountain that night, I peaked outside at morning light<br>__Word spread so fast in a town like this  
>-<em>

Aria brushed her hands down the outside of her legs as she stared out the window of the coffee house she was currently sitting in.

Snow was blanketing a new layer over the city, and the grey clouds were dark enough to make Aria want to crawl under her blankets and hide in her bed. She heard the door open across the room, and she heaved a sigh as she looked up and rubbed her hands down her legs once more as the cold breeze hit her. She waved to Spencer, Toby, and Hanna as they walked over to the counter to place their orders.

"No Em?" Aria asked when they walked over.

"She and Paige already had plans," Hanna explained as she sat down next to Aria at the table. Spencer and Toby each took a seat across from her.

"So what did Ezra say about seeing his father?" Spencer asked as she removed her jacket and reached for her caramel frappe.

"He said he'd think about it," Aria replied. "Mostly, I think he just agreed to it because he wants Adriana to let go of this idea that their father has somehow changed."

Spencer and Hanna nodded. They all knew in their own rights that they could understand both sides of the situation. Hanna had seen what it was like for Caleb with his foster mom, while Spencer had seen Toby go through his own struggles with everything Jenna had done to them in the past.

However they both had wished for change from their own fathers in their own rights. In some ways, Hanna and Spencer had even seen that change to a degree. And as much as Aria wanted to hate Byron and write him off, there was always a small part of her that hoped one day he would wake up and realize that he was wrong about how he had reacted to her relationship with Ezra.

Aria chewed her bottom lip for a moment as she turned back to staring out the window again for a few moments. She took another sip from her coffee and turned to look back at her friends.

"Toby, can I ask your opinion on something?"

Toby nodded as his hand rubbed up and down Spencer's back. "Sure."

"If it was you, and Spencer repeated something you told her in confidence to protect someone she cared about?" Aria asked.

Toby raised an eyebrow and considered her question for a moment. "Is the person she's protecting in danger of getting hurt?"

Aria nodded, chewing on her bottom lip once more. "Badly."

"Then I guess I'd be mad, but I'd have to get over it if it was shared to keep someone safe." He answered.

Spencer chuckled as she turned her coffee cup slowly on the table. "Have enough people told you now that you were right?" She asked Aria.

Aria huffed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. it's the whole issue of her sticking to her guns, insisting that I'm wrong. It makes me feel like I really am, even when people say otherwise."

"Just because someone is older than you and they think they know better doesn't necessarily mean they do," Hanna interjected.

Aria, Spencer and Toby all turned their attention to her, surprised by her sudden apparent interest in the conversation. She had been staring at her phone screen for the most part since they had arrived; Aria assumed because she was talking to Caleb.

"What?" She said when she realized they were staring at her. "Sometimes people are wrong."

They laughed at her, and Hanna rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her phone.

They sat and chatted for a few more minutes before Aria's attention was pulled absentmindedly towards the doorway. Her mood lifted a bit more as she spotted Ezra walking into the building with Mateo. She watched as he looked around the room and then spotted her. He strode over to them and leaned down to peck her on the lips as she shifted in her chair to face him.

"Hi," she said cheerfully.

Ezra smiled back at her. "Hi. Have you eaten yet?"

Aria shook her head, wrapping her hand around her coffee. "Got an idea?"

"Mat's meeting his girlfriend at The Lighthouse, and he invited us." He paused for a moment, letting his gaze drift to Spencer, Hanna and Toby. "But if you don't want to-"

"No," Aria said quickly, shaking her head. "I'd be happy to."

She pushed up from her seat, still holding her coffee, and turned back to Spencer, Hanna, and Toby. She said goodbye to them and then hugged Spencer and Hanna before following Ezra over to the checkout line, where Mateo was.

Of what she knew about him, he seemed like a nice enough guy. He towered over Ezra by several inches at six foot two, and had jet black hair that had been recently shaved and was in the process of growing back. He had angular features much like Ezra, and chocolate brown eyes.

She recalled the first time she'd met him after the many internet correspondences he'd had with Ezra, she had not at all expected what she saw. In fact, by his demeanor for the first few minutes she was near him when they first met, she was sure he was going to be a jerk. But he had a sweet southern drawl and a boyish charm about him that quickly wiped that misconception out of her brain when he introduced himself.

She snapped back to the present when Ezra asked her if she wanted another coffee. She shook her head, still having a generous amount left in her cup. They headed out of the building shortly after that and retreated to their own cars.

As Aria pulled on her seatbelt, she watched as Ezra started his car in the stall next to hers. She was aware of the issues that would likely befall them in the coming days, given how much he disliked his father, but she hoped that with any luck that she had definitely done the right thing, and everything would be resolved soon enough.

Her stereo kicked in as her car purred to live, and she moved the gearshift into reverse and then began to back out of her spot.

"_I really wanna remember this night  
><em>_And how my words never came out right  
><em>_And it's just my visions that keeps me alive  
><em>_Just like all those pretty lights  
><em>_Just like all the pretty lights in the sky…"_

She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the song as she followed Ezra and Mateo through the city to the restaurant. As cheesy as it felt to her, she knew that the message in the song was one she needed in her life at the moment. She was so easily being sucked up into all the drama that Adriana had brought into their lives since her announcement that she was speaking to her father again, that she wasn't taking the time to appreciate what they had in the current moment.

A part of her felt guilty at the notion, because things were going pretty well. Aside from the minor disagreement she had with her friends and the argument she was currently in with Adriana, nothing was going wrong in her life. She'd passed her finals with flying colors and her SAT scores were high enough to make it into NYU. Even though she wouldn't have an answer back for a few months, she felt content that things would go right.

Things were looking up in her life for the first time in what seemed like forever. She wasn't fighting with Ezra, A wasn't around to cause her life trouble, and aside from the occasional comment every now and then, she hadn't been bullied since Maya's death. Her friends were healthy, and she was in a great place with her mother and brother.

It certainly seemed that things couldn't possibly get any better, and she liked it that way.


	20. This Time I'll Be Bulletproof

_Chapter 20_

_This Time I'll Be Bulletproof_

If there had ever been a time when Aria was dreading making a trip to New York, it had been when she realized that going to New York and actually having the meeting with Sebastian Fitz would mean staying in the same residence as Adriana.

She had briefly considered asking Ezra if they could stay somewhere else for the weekend, but the realization of how unhappy that would make Serena quickly made her change her mind.

She exhaled a heavy sigh and looked around the bedroom as her calculus textbook rested on her lap. The fire currently going in the fireplace had warmed the room considerably since they had arrived earlier in the evening, and she was grateful for it, given the fact that she didn't really want to hang out with Adriana.

Ezra and Hardy had headed out to Hardy's parents shortly after they had finished dinner, and as much as Aria loved Ezra, she'd wanted to kick him when she realized he was leaving her there. Though Serena hadn't said anything to her, a part of her couldn't help but believe the eldest woman had probably taken her daughter's side in the current situation.

Her line of vision quickly shifted to the door as she heard the knob turn. She watched as the door opened slightly, and then smiled nervously as Serena stepped into the room carrying two mugs. She walked over to the bed and handed one of the cups to Aria.

"Thank you," Aria murmured as she brought the cup of hot chocolate to her lips. The heated liquid warmed her insides as she swallowed a sip.

"I figured you girls could use something to take your minds momentarily off of your textbooks," Serena replied as she still held the other cup.

Aria nodded, taking another sip of her cocoa. She couldn't help but continue to smile. "My mom used to make cocoa when I was up late studying and it was cold outside. She'd tell me that I needed to not let my homework not dominate my brain so heavily."

Serena chuckled. "I can see why she would say that. You're a very intense thinker, Aria Montgomery."

Aria giggled softly as she nodded. She knew the comment to be true. A beat passed before Serena finally spoke of the true reason she'd come to speak to the younger girl.

"While I have downright refused to take sides among my children, I understand that you were the one who told Ezra that Adriana was speaking to Sebastian again." She was quiet for a moment, but Aria could see that many different emotions were plaguing the older woman.

Serena sighed and shook her head. "I would never tell my children how to feel about a situation or act upon such, but given Ezra's views of his father, I don't blame you for telling him, or for the fact that you made that choice. As I'm sure you've been told, it was an impossible situation." She chuckled softly. "To be perfectly honest, I'm glad I wasn't the one placed in that situation."

Aria nodded and stared down at the brown liquid in her cup. A thin layer of froth now resided where marshmallows had been when the cocoa had first been made, and she watched it as it moved slowly around in the cup. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly dear," Serena replied. It was the same happy tone that she always seemed to have about her.

Aria exhaled a nervous breath. "Do you really think he's changed? I mean do you really think it's possible that he's not the same person that hurt Ezra?"

Serena's expression slackened slightly, obviously at least slightly perplexed by the question. There was a pregnant silence between them before the older woman spoke once more. "If you're asking my views on Sebastian in general, I suppose I wouldn't know until I see him tomorrow. But my views on people who abuse those they claim to love in a general sense…No, I don't really think they're honestly capable of change. If you truly love someone or something, there should never be a reason or situation to **ever **lead a person to hurting someone they claim to care about."

She paused for a moment to take a breath, and then continued. "In the same token though, one could argue that I have not seen the man in over ten years. For all I know, he may have entirely turned his life around. I don't know if that's true, but a part of me would like to believe it is, for my daughter's sake. And maybe even a little for Ezra's sake. They deserve to have their father in their lives."

"Never going to happen."

Aria and Serena both looked up as the door opened and Ezra stepped inside. He was wet from snow melting into his hair and on his face.

Serena smiled sympathetically at Ezra. "Don't be so unwilling to open up to something that could be good for you," she said insistently. "If you walk into tomorrow without an open mind, you're going to end up screwing yourself either way."

Ezra shook his head at his mother and sighed. "Never going to happen, mom. But you can hold onto the pipe dream for another twenty-four hours. And I'll gladly accept your apologies in the form of free food when I turn out to be right," he said cheekily.

Serena laughed, pushing up from the bed. "You're certainly one of a kind, my boy." She walked over to him and pecked him on the cheek before leaving the room.

Ezra closed the door behind her and then unbuckled his jeans and removed them. His shirt joined his pants a moment later, and then he squatted down and pulled out a pair of pajama pants and a thermal shirt. He tossed the shirt up onto the bed and then tugged on the pants as Aria closed her textbook and placed it on the floor.

"Do you really think tomorrow is going to solve everything?" She asked as she slipped her feet under the blankets.

Ezra shrugged, adjusting the pajama pants on his waist before he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. "I honestly don't know. I just hope it doesn't make everything worse."

He walked around the bed and pulled the blankets back before slipping underneath them and lying down next to Aria. She moved closer to him and extended his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. Ezra wrapped his arm around her and brushed his fingers up and down her back.

Aria tilted her head up and looked at him. She could see the pensiveness in his eyes.

"Hey," she murmured.

Ezra shook out of his reverie and looked down at her. "Hmm?"

She mulled over what she was about to say for a few moments before she spoke. "If you don't want to be here when he comes tomorrow, we can leave. You don't have to see him."

Ezra shook his head, curling his fingers under the hem of her shirt. "I want to be here. I won't let my sister believe for another minute that that man somehow became a better person."

_-  
>All those fairytales are full of shit; one more fucking love song,<br>__I'll be sick; now I'm at a payphone  
>-<em>

Aria clung tightly to her cup of coffee as she held _The Help _in her other hand. She and Ezra had been restless, so they'd been awake by six AM. He had decided to go for a run in an attempt to shake off nervous energy, while Aria had joined Serena for a cup of coffee and silent reading.

She turned the page of her book and took another sip from her coffee, wiggling her toes absentmindedly as she read in silence. The only noise came from the occasional blustering breeze outside the house.

Aria looked up as steps creaked outside on the porch, and a moment later, the front door opened. Ezra stepped inside, coated in sweat from his run. He was two cups of coffee.

Aria let her book close and smiled as Ezra walked up to her. He handed her one of the cups and kissed the top of her head.

"Feeling any better?" She asked as she sat up straighter and settled her now cold coffee on the table before moving her book onto the table as well.

Ezra shrugged. "For the most part. Coffee didn't hurt either."

He leaned down to kiss her, and she turned her head away, giggling.

"What?" He asked.

"You are **covered **in sweat," she laughed. "Go take a shower, please."

Ezra rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face told her that he didn't take offense to the comment. He kissed the top of her head once more and then made his way up the steps.

The rest of the morning passed quietly, even after Hardy and Adriana had awaken. Adriana refused to speak to Aria and Ezra, and Hardy stayed quiet to keep from anyone yelling at him. Even so, they all seemed to be come restless as midday passed.

Shortly after one PM, three firm knocks on the front door interrupted the tense silence. Glances were exchanged among each of them before Adriana shot up out her seat and practically ran to the door. She opened the door and her smile widened as she launched herself at the man standing on the other side of the door.

Aria looked up from her wary glance on Ezra to the older man as he stepped inside the house. She could easily see the resemblance to Adriana and Ezra. A smile adorned his face as he stepped inside the house, but nobody made moved from where they were seated.

Sebastian's eyes traveled the room before finally falling on Serena. "Rena! It's great to see you!"

Serena's smile was terse – vaguely untrusting – but she stepped out of the kitchen and walked over to Sebastian. She extended a hand to him and they shook lightly before releasing. Serena tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"You brought lunch," Adriana said in an obvious manner. "We should eat."

Though it seemed to be an offer, it was clearly was a lightly sugarcoated demand. Ezra huffed as he pushed up from his spot on the couch, and he held tightly to Aria's hand. The look on her face told him that he was doing it in a protective manner.

They turned to walk into the kitchen, but Sebastian spoke once more, and Aria could visibly see the cringe on his face.

"Damn, Ezra. You…You're eve more grown up than your sister."

Ezra inhaled a long deep breath, and then held it for a moment before exhaling, and looking at the elder man. "Yeah. That tends to happen when you're out of someone's life for more than a decade."

The glare that Adriana shot at him was worse than she'd given to him since Aria had told him about Sebastian coming around again. Ezra huffed.

"You've gotten older too," he said in the lightest tone he could manage. His stomach churned as he was sure he noticed just the slightest flicker of something in his father's eyes, but it was gone before he could figure if he had just been trying to see something he wanted to, or if it was real.

"And you got yourself a girl," Sebastian said cheerfully. Aria stiffened next to Ezra, and his grip on her hand tensed even more so. Sebastian turned towards Aria. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Aria," she said shakily. "Aria Montgomery."

Sebastian's brow furrowed slightly. "As in Tyson Montgomery? From Philadelphia?"

Aria nodded nervously. "Yeah. He's my dad's cousin."

"I'm hungry," Ezra said before Sebastian could say anything else. "Let's eat."

They all made their way into the kitchen, and Serena and Sebastian each took spots at either end of the table, while Ezra made sure Aria was next to Serena, and Adriana sat next to her father as well.

Chinese food was divided up amongst all of them, and it was quiet for a few minutes as they began to eat. Polite chatter seemed to fill the room as they ate, but the nervous energy never entirely dissipated from the room.

"So my girl tells me that you're getting married," Sebastian said to Hardy as he scooped a second helping of dirty rice onto his plate. "That's ironic, given that I don't recall being asked my permission."

"Sebastian-" Serena growled, but she was quickly cut off.

"You don't get that option when you're absent from ninety percent of your child's life," Ezra interjected.

"Ezra!" This time it was Adriana, but once again, someone else cut into the conversation.

"With all due respect sir, I don't know you, and I've known this family for almost six years," Hardy said.

Adriana glared at him. "It was a joke, Hardy."

Ezra shook his head, pushing up from the table. "No, it wasn't."

He walked into the kitchen, and Serena watched as he did so. She exhaled a sigh when she heard his plate clink against the counter and then saw him walk around the island and lean against it.

"Why don't you guys go into the family room and give us a few minutes," she said as she stood up.

Sebastian shook his head standing up. "Let me, Re. I'll talk to him."

Serena was clearly hesitant to say yes, but she nodded anyway and pushed up from the table. When the other three didn't move as quickly, she glared at them. Nervously, they each shot up from their seats and walked into the family room. Serena followed in suit.

Sebastian walked into the kitchen, over to where Ezra was standing. He left a few inches between them as he leaned against he counter nearby.

"Stay away from me," Ezra growled lowly as he moved away from Sebastian and stood on the other side of the island.

"You still don't trust me," Sebastian said as he stared at his son. It wasn't a question or a statement, or really even an observation, but the way he said it made Ezra's skin crawl.

"No, I don't," Ezra said, shaking his head. "Because I remember how you were when we were kids. And no matter what you say, I don't rally believe that you've changed."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "What do I have to gain by coming back here if it's to hurt you? Honestly?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ezra said sarcastically. "Money? The trust of your daughter that you'll most _definitely _use to manipulate her-"

"I would never do that," Sebastian insisted. Ezra could hear the frustration in his voice, even though Sebastian clearly tried to blanket it with other emotions.

Ezra laughed disbelievingly. "You would. Because a man that would hit his wife would do anything to have the upper hand, regardless of what it takes."

"What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not that person anymore?" Sebastian asked. Ezra could hear the anger building in his voice.

_Good_, he thought to himself. If he pressed hard enough, the older man would eventually snap, and prove his point.

"Leave," Ezra said simply. "And don't come back. Leave Adriana and Hardy alone. Leave Aria and I alone. And more than any of it, leave my mother alone."

"No," Sebastian said. "Anything other than those three things-"

"You really don't care about doing anything to help your family," Ezra cut him off. "You just want what you want, and you want everyone else to fall in line with it. That's how it's always been. And it's sad, because if you had even an _ounce _of respect for any of the people you claim to love-"

"Respect?!" Sebastian walked over to Ezra until he was standing toe-to-toe with him. "You're the one who doesn't seem to know anything about respect."

"Respect is earned," Ezra replied coolly. It was a comment that Sebastian had made countless times to him when he was young. "You've done nothing to earn mine."

The hit came so fast after an angered laugh that he didn't realize it had happened until the pain started to radiate on his bottom lip and the side of his jaw. By then, Sebastian's fist was about to connect a second time. Just after he hit a third time, Ezra shoved his arms up between the older mans, knocking them out of reach of his face as he gripped the collar of his father's shirt.

"I'm not a kid anymore," he growled. "And I'm not going to let you hurt me the way you used to. I've learned to fight back. And you're going to stay the **HELL **away from **MY **family."

Sebastian's hand came up around Ezra's arm and hit him just below his right eye. Ezra shoved him back, and Sebastian was about to charge back at him when Serena walked into the room.

"What the hell is going on in here!?" She yelled, glaring at Sebastian. She looked to Ezra, and her expression quickly changed. "You're bleeding."

Ezra brought a hand up to his bottom lip and winced. His lip was split on the inside and outside.

"Get out of my house," Serena growled to Sebastian. "And don't come back."

The older man glared at her angrily for a long minute before he walked out. They could hear Adriana asking questions just for a brief moment before the front door slammed a few moments later.

"I knew he'd do it," Ezra said as Serena wetted a folded piece of paper towel and then walked over to him and pressed it to his lip. "It was too easy, too. He hasn't changed at all."

"I know," Serena told him. "But you shouldn't have pushed him."

"He-" Ezra tried, but Serena glared at him.

"**Ezra**. He's your father, and regardless of anything else-"

"No, mom," he argued back. "A real parent doesn't hit their child, regardless of how angry they are."

Adriana walked into the room before Serena could say anything else. "Why did dad leave pissed? What'd you say to him?"

The hateful tone in her voice didn't surprise him. She hadn't said a nice word to him in weeks.

"I didn't say anything to him that he didn't know," he growled at her. He winced as Serena turned his chin to look at the side of his face where he'd been punched.

"It'll bruise," she told him. "But probably not too badly. You should get some ice on your lip."

"He hit you?" Adriana asked. "Again?"

Serena walked over to the freezer and grabbed an icepack. She wrapped it in a thin towel before walking back over to Ezra and handing it to him. "On your face."

"Yeah," Ezra said to Adriana. "Don't be so surprised. It's just his nature."

Regardless of his comment, he could see the disappointment in her eyes. He knew that she honestly had believed and wanted to think that their father truly had changed; that he wasn't just putting on a show.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Ezra shook his head, holding the icepack against the side of his chin. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to. I knew that there was no chance that he'd changed. I could tell the minute he walked in that door."

_-  
>Someone like you and all you know and how you speak<br>__And countless lovers undercover on the street  
>-<em>

Aria curled her feet up under her as she pulled the blanket in her lap tighter around her legs. Even though she had boots on, it was doing very little to keep her warm thus far.

Her phone buzzed in her lap, alerting her of a new text message from Spencer. She had yet to call her friends and clue them in on what had happened earlier in the day.

She quickly typed a response back to Spencer and then let her phone drop back into her lap. As she did, the front door opened, and a moment later, Adriana stepped outside, carrying two mugs. She walked over to the swing, and seemed to stall for a moment before she spoke.

"Can I sit?" She asked.

Aria looked up at her and nodded. "Sure."

Adriana sat down on the edge of the swing and offered Aria one of the mugs. Aria reached out and took it. Silence wavered over them once more as Aria sipped the cappuccino Adriana had made her.

"Where's Ezra?" She asked after a few minutes.

Aria licked the foam off her top lip. "He laid down about an hour ago. Said he had a headache."

Adriana nodded in understanding. She was quiet yet again, and Aria made no move to say or do anything.

Finally after a few more moments of tense silence, she turned to Aria and spoke.

"I'm sorry," she said honestly. "I was… I was a **lot **of things, but most of all, I was wrong. And I know you know how hard it is for me to admit that…" She paused and sighed, shaking her head at herself. "I'm not even sure I can properly even show you how sorry I am. I swear Aria, if I had known…"

As her voice trailed off, tears filled her eyes. Aria inhaled a deep breath and chewed her bottom lip as she stared at the older girl. After a minute, she moved on the swing and wrapped an arm around Adriana, hugging her.

"I'm so sorry," Adriana cried into her shoulder. "I'm sorry for everything I said. I'm sorry for how I acted." She pulled away a few moments later, and wiped the tears from her face, though they continued. "I'm sorry that I let myself believe he could change."

Aria shook her head, rubbing her hand up and down Adriana's back. "You shouldn't be. Everyone should be able to have faith that someone can change. I actually commend you for believing in that. What hurt me is how cruel you were with your words."

Adriana nodded, sniffling. She took a moment to let herself calm down a bit before she spoke again. "Honestly, thinking about it now, I think I told you not to tell Ezra because I honestly wanted to believe that he was capable of change, and I knew Ezra had the ability to set me straight."

"I understand wanting to hold onto that belief," Aria replied.

"So you don't hate me?" Adriana asked hopefully.

Aria chewed her bottom lip for a second. "No. I mean I'm still upset for what you said because it was cruel. But I'll get over it. Just have more mind for what you're saying to people, please. It **does** hurt."

Adriana nodded. The girls hugged once more before Aria pulled her feet back up onto the swing and once more curled under the blanket. She offered Adriana a portion of it, and the older girl took it gladly.

For a while, they sat in silence and sipped their drinks while they watched snow fall. Eventually, the front door opened once more, and they both turned to see Ezra and Hardy walking out. Aria and Adriana squeezed into the middle of the swing and let Ezra and Hardy have both ends, effectively filling up the swing of any leftover space.

"Did you sleep okay?" Aria asked Ezra.

He nodded. "Painkillers helped."

She rubbed her hand gently down the back of his head and kissed his temple.

"So, I still have a best man, right?" Hardy asked a few minutes later as they all slowly swung back and forth as to not overpower the swing.

Ezra rolled his eyes, though a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "**Yes**."

"Good," Hardy replied cheerfully. "Because my brother was trying to move in on that spot, and I already know about the nightmare of a bachelor party that he wanted to plan. I mean I would've let him do it, but I would've hated it."

Ezra laughed. "Didn't his friend end up in the ER the last time he was the best man?"

Hardy nodded. "The stripper's boyfriend showed up at the party and punched him in the face."

"I'll try and make sure you don't show up on your wedding day looking like you've just lost a boxing tournament," Ezra said with a laugh.

_-  
>You left me wide-eyed, waiting all summer for you to come back<br>__From California and make the move to seal the deal on you and me  
>-<em>

"Hey mom, can I talk to you for a second?"

Serena looked up from the batter she was currently mixing and then settled the large spoon against the inside of the bowl, being sure it wouldn't fall out and send batter onto the counter before she stepped away. "Sure, kiddo. What's up?"

The water bottle in Ezra's hands crackled as he held it a bit too tightly, trying to figure out how to approach the subject the right way.

Serena chuckled. "Don't brood so much. You'll get wrinkles."

Ezra looked up at her, pulled from his reverie. The smallest hint of a smile seemed to pull on his cheeks. "I just…There's something I don't know if I should do or not, and with everything coming up in the next few months-"

"You're not planning on robbing a bank, are you?" She asked. "Because I have plenty of investments still holding up generously for you and Addy to survive."

Ezra couldn't help but roll his eyes at the fact that his mother's comment was said so lightly, telling him she obviously didn't believe that was what he was planning to do; but that he needed to spit it out.

"I want to ask Aria to marry me," he replied quickly. He let the comment sink in for a moment before he continued. "Not right away. I was thinking one of our birthdays; I don't want to get in the middle of Hardy and Dre's wedding. But…"

Serena stared at him for a few moments, and the pensive look in his eyes returned. "But what?"

"I know Byron has been nonexistent from Aria's life pretty much since her emancipation became final, and that she's still hurt that her parents got divorced. But things have gotten better with her mother. I don't feel like I could die of frostbite anymore when she looks at me," he said a bit lightly.

"So…" Serena's voice trailed off, letting him know she wasn't quite sure where he was taking the question.

"So, do I extend the courtesy of asking her mother for her blessing? Or do I just do it and hope that things don't blow up?" He asked.

"Well," Serena said with a huff of a sigh. "I **could **stand here and play twenty questions with you, asking you a dozen different questions about the woman and all of that good stuff, but I'm not going to. I think that you'll know the right choice when you make it, whether it's proposing with **or** _without_her consent. If this is a road that Aria and her mother are forging together, and things are going to go well, then I think you'll figure out where you fit in all of that, and what the right choices are for you to make."

Ezra considered what she said for a moment and then sighed. "Thanks for being so entirely cryptic, mom."

Serena laughed. "Your welcome, kid."

Ezra rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway as he hugged her. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Count on it," Serena replied with a look of mirth on her face.

Ezra walked out of the kitchen and through the house, up the stairs to the bedroom. Aria looked up from her phone at him and smiled.

"Has all balance been restored in the Fitz family again?" She asked as he went about changing into pajamas.

Ezra nodded, yanking on a pair of flannel pajama pants. He walked around the bed a moment later and slipped under the blankets beneath her. "Is all right in the world of Sparia?"

Aria's eyebrow quirked up as if to ask him _'Seriously?', _but she seemed to smile anyway. "Yes, it's just absolutely peachy." She reached a hand up and brushed it over his bruised cheek, frowning slightly. The discontent and uncomfortable feelings she'd felt earlier in the day when Sebastian had been in the house swirled once again in her stomach as her eyes drifted over Ezra's face. She hated knowing this had happened. "Are you okay?" She asked. "I know I haven't asked yet."

Ezra nodded, reaching up to grab the hand she'd placed on his cheek. He kissed her fingertips. "He can't do anything else to this family, and that's what matters. Bruises fade, and I guarantee along with them will be any feelings I have left for or about that man."

Aria raised her eyebrows. "Even the hateful ones?"

Ezra was quiet for a moment. "Soon enough. He's the past. I'm not going to let him rock our future."

A loud bang against the wall outside the room surprised them both, and Aria jumped, causing Ezra to instinctively wrap his arms tighter around her as if he needed to protect her. They were both silent for a few moments before they heard the sound once more, and then again.

Ezra's brow furrowed. "Please tell me I don't hear a box spring-…"

Aria turned her head to look at him, and the grossed-out look on his face quickly turned to that of laughter as they stared at each other, realizing what was going on in the next room. Aria buried her face in his chest in an attempt to quiet her own laughter while Ezra bit down on his fist to stay silent.

"Try not to break the house, guys!" He called out loud enough that he was sure they could hear them. A moment later there was another thump on the wall.

"Glad to know that the arguing didn't severe any ties for them," Aria giggled.

Ezra shook his head, trying to contain any need to laugh. "Please don't put those kinds of images in my head. Sister, best friend…"

Aria simply rolled her eyes and looked up at him before they both fell back into another fit of laughter.


	21. Baby I Will Be Your Everything

**a/n: **It has all but **killed **me to pull this chapter together. I'm serious. For one, you guys probably realize via my twitter feed that I SUCK when it comes to coming up with anything gift-related when I write about holidays. (Ironic, considering you'd think that this far into plot development that I would know my characters well enough to know what to get them, but apparently I don't.) More than that, my personal life has been in shambles, which has literally kept me from writing in more than a week. Every bit that I **have **managed to write is when my muse has been nice enough to lend herself to me.

Also, I know NOTHING about how one jumps a car, so forgive me if I get anything wrong technically speaking.

**Disclaimer: **State Of Grace is not mine. It belongs to Taylor Swift, Big Machine Records, and all those other lovely people. I have no affiliation. Ezra's poem IS mine, and you can't have it.

_Chapter 21_

_Baby I Will Be Your Everything_

Aria groaned as she reached out and grabbed her phone off of the nightstand next to her. Her hand patted around for a few seconds as she refused to give in to the light shining above the blankets. After a few seconds, her hands wrapped around the phone. She tugged it under the blankets and opened one eye just quick enough to hit the snooze button before she shoved her phone under her pillow.

She had just started to doze back off when it began buzzing next to her hand and the muffled sound of music began to emit from it as well. Aria sighed and frowned before pulling it out and checking the clock again. It was six fourty. School started at 8 AM, and she usually tried to make it there sometime after seven thirty. If she wanted to shower and be properly ready to go, she needed to get up.

She tossed the blanket back over her head as if ripping off a bandaid, and groaned with just the same amount of irritation. Her brow furrowed at the fact that Ezra's side of the bed – and his side of the room for that matter – were clean and empty. She rolled over onto her back and then sat up, surveying the room completely. She became even more confused at the sight of an envelope sitting on the bedside table.

She reached over and grabbed it before turning it over and pulling out the card inside. It had hearts on it. She grabbed her phone from beside her and brought up the screen. _Damn it. Valentines day. _

She'd been so wrapped up in the past few weeks – from the follow-out that had followed their trip to New York City, to helping Spencer plan a birthday party for Toby – that she hadn't thought about the upcoming couple's holiday. Granted, shortly after Christmas it had been on her mind, but she hadn't thought much about it with everything that had happened.

She shook her head at herself as she settled the card back on the nightstand and finally moved off the bed.

Aria ignored every thought in her mind as she made her way to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Once the water was at a temperature she was sure wouldn't scald her skin, she removed her clothes and stepped under the spray. She was quick to wash herself up before getting out and wrapping herself in a towel. She dug out a hair dryer from below the sink and plugged it in before blow-drying her hair as quickly as she could.

All of her movements were rushed as she spent the next half hour getting ready for school. By quarter after seven, she had finished her makeup and pulled her hair up off her neck. She had settled on a red long-sleeved shirt with an elongated torso and mesh sleeves, and black jeans. Her knee-high boots were a suede brown.

She returned to her bedroom long enough to grab her phone and tuck it into her bag before making her way back through the apartment, pulling on her coat and grabbing her keys as she went.

It wasn't until she made it out to the car with the card Ezra had left for her in hand, that she finally took the time to open it and read it. A blush crept into her cheeks as she saw a pressed rose petal resting inside the card. She pulled it from the sleeve and lifted it to her nose, inhaling the scent. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that the scent was still there.

Settling the petal on one of her thighs, she turned her attention back to the card and began to read.

_Aria Rose Montgomery, _

_I find it ironic (at least slightly) that the first time I found out your middle name was Rose when we told your parents about our relationship. Nonetheless, we are more than a year deep in this endeavour, and I'm proud to see that we are now celebrating our second valentines day together. I wish I could have been there when you awoke, but early morning meetings demanded my attention._

_As it is, my day will be long, but I fully intend on making it up to you throughout the day. I love you dearly, and can't wait for tonight. _

_I love you. _

_Xoxo, Ezra_

Aria's smile grew exponentially as she stared at the card, reading it through once more to take in what he'd said. She couldn't help but wonder what he meant with the statement about continuing to make it up to her throughout the day.

She picked up the rose petal off her thigh and smelt it once more before placing it back within the confines of the card, and placing the card back into its envelope. She placed the envelope inside her school bag and then started her car.

"_Should you really be giving me champagne on a school night?" Aria teased as she lifted the flute from the table. The amber liquid was still bubbling at the very top of where it had been poured into the glass, fizzing slightly. _

"_Its not as if we're going to get drunk," Ezra said with a slight roll of the eyes as he settled the bottle down on the table after filling his own glass. "Besides, it's just one glass. And it's Valentines day." _

"_**We're **__not going to get drunk?" Aria countered. "Or __**I'm**__ not going to get drunk." _

_Ezra chuckled at her and shook his head. "I could always just go get some Yeager. That'll definitely get you drunk." _

_Aria giggled, shaking her head. "So what exactly are we toasting? It's kind-of been a busy week." _

"_Umm…" Ezra paused for a moment. "New jobs? Renewed relationships? Love?" _

_Aria smiled at him, shaking her head. He was so good at putting words together poetically when he tried, but ask the man to throw together a simple speech off the top of his head, and he appeared useless. _

"_How about to renewed passion," she offered. "Going forward with a new determination." _

_Ezra considered it for a moment before nodding. They clinked their glasses and then each took a sip. Or rather, Ezra took a sip, and Aria downed the entire flute before offering it to Ezra for a second serving with a shit-eating grin on her face. _

When Aria arrived at school, she wasn't at all surprised to see the halls all but covered in red and pink. Whether it was the other girls' outfits, or things people had hung up over the past few days. She couldn't help but kick herself mentally once more at the fact that the lovers' holiday seemed to have snuck up on her so easily without her knowing.

She strode up to her locker with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, and opened her locker. She settled her coffee on the top of her locker as she often did before proceeding to remove her textbooks from her bag and refilling it with the ones that she would need for the next few hours. As she was stuffing her textbook for creative writing into her bag, Hanna strode up.

Aria looked up and couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Hanna was wearing white tights and a knee-length red dress, quite similar to Aria's shirt, though longer, and the a dark so red that it was almost violet.

"Is Caleb getting seduced today?" Aria asked as her eyes trailed up from the black ankle boots Hanna was wearing.

Hanna shrugged with a grin on her face. "Maybe. Depends on what he's got planned."

Aria laughed, shaking her head at her friend. She pushed up from where she was knelt and grabbed her bag, slinging it up on to her shoulder.

"What are you and the Fitz doing for Valentines day?" Hanna asked.

Aria shrugged, gulping. Hanna of all her friends would be the one to be most appalled at her for forgetting Valentines day, which made her nervous to say anything. But as Spencer and Emily walked up asking the same question not even two seconds later, she was left with no choice but to tell the truth.

"I forgot," she admitted in a soft voice as she leaned against her locker. Her face flushed bright red at the looks her friends were giving her. "I just got so caught up with everyone and everything that's been going on lately that it slipped past me. I mean, I knew it was coming and all. I just didn't realize it had come so fast."

"You were just saying the other day that you needed to figure out something for a gift," Spencer pointed out.

Aria nodded, chewing lightly on her bottom lip. "I completely flaked. I just hope that if I manage to figure out something for a gift, that Ezra doesn't totally see through it tonight."

"Well hey," Spencer offered. "You guys are writers. You could always write him a song or something like that. You're really good at stuff like that."

Aria considered the thought for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. It was certainly an option. But then, how would she ever put together a proper arrangement on time. Ezra would be able to see through it as soon as she sat down to sing it for him.

"I'll think on it," Aria said. She looked up at the clock on the wall and then back at her friends. "I'm going to pop in on my mom before class starts. Maybe she'll have an idea."

Aria walked away from her friends and made her way to her mother's class room, careful to stay out of the way of any couples that were not bothering to wait until the end of the school day to start their celebration. Plenty of them were already paired up and kissing, leaning against their lockers as they did so.

She arrived at her mother's classroom, and was already halfway through her explanation of desperately needing help when she stopped abruptly. Her mother was kissing someone.

Ella quickly parted from the other participant of the kiss, however, upon hearing Aria's voice, and her cheeks reddened just as much as Aria's did as they stood there in silence.

Aria gulped, chewing on her bottom lip. "Y-you… y-you're the g-guy f-from the coffee shop," She pointed out.

He nodded. "I'm Zack."

"You're really young," Aria blurted out. Her hand quickly flew up to her mouth as she realized what she'd insinuated.

Ella laughed nervously, and Zack nodded, an obviously nervous smile on his own face.

"Young_er_," he pointed out before turning to Ella. "I think I'll excuse myself. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Ella replied very quickly.

Zack quickly dismissed himself from the room, but the silence stuck for a few moments longer before Ella finally looked up at Aria.

"What is it that you needed?" She asked quickly, clearly still trying to come to terms with the fact that her daughter had just walked in on her with her…boyfriend? Aria couldn't be sure.

"I'm not sure what to do," Aria replied after taking a deep breath. "I completely let the days get away from me, and now it's valentines day, and I have **nothing** planned or figured out."

Ella nodded, realizing why Aria had come to her. "Have you thought about anything you could buy for him?"

Aria shook her head. "Everything I could even consider getting him is either too tawdry or way too out of my price range."

"Then why not do what you do best, and make him something," Ella replied. "I mean sure you probably feel like you're under the gun for not thinking about doing something sooner, but unlike most people who've had their plans for weeks, you're putting your full effort into the 'holiday'."

Aria chuckled as she watched Ella use air quotes as she said the word holiday, though she wasn't sure if she was laughing at the gesture more because of her mother's apparent loathing of the holiday, or the fact that she was pretty sure Ella was actually going to celebrate the holiday this year.

Whether or not she wanted to discuss it further wasn't an option, because before she could say anything, five of the students in her first period walked in and headed towards their seats. Aria exhaled a soft sigh and made her way to her desk, dropping her bag beside it. She reached inside and retrieved her phone, turning it down until it was set to silent, before returning it to her bag. Whatever she decided to do for the holiday would have to wait.

_-  
>It's all talk, talk, talk, talking in the wind<br>__It only slows you down if you start listening  
>-<em>

"Hey, you're still helping me set up the barn for me and Toby tonight, right?" Spencer asked as she stuffed one of her notebooks into her bag.

Aria nodded, looking up from her own notebook. She'd spent her ICT class putting together a collage after she had finished with her assignment, and now she was doing what had been suggested, and writing something for Ezra. She was entirely sure it was going to suck, though.

"What time do you need me there?" Aria asked as she scribbled out a line of lyrics on the page in front of her.

"Sometime after four," Spencer replied. "He's meeting with his dad for a bit, and then he'll be back around six."

"Then just text me when the house is empty," Aria said, glancing up at Spencer for a brief moment. "I'll come over and help get everything set up."

"Great," Spencer replied a bit more cheerfully.

Aria turned her attention back to her notebook for a few moments before looking back up at Spencer. "Just to be clear, what exactly are we setting up?"

"I'm making cookies," Spencer said. "I need you to help me get candles set up."

"Where are your parents going to be during all of this?" Aria asked.

"My dad is taking my mom to Chesapeake Bay for a few days," Spencer explained. "And Melissa and her boyfriend are going to be staying in with Taylor for the night in Philadelphia."

Aria nodded.

"Would you want to spend the night this weekend?" Spencer asked.

"I'd have to check my schedule," Aria replied. She paused a moment later and lifted her head, thinking about what she'd just said. She looked over at Spencer. "I swear I'm seventeen going on thirty-five."

Spencer laughed. "Well you **are **turning eighteen in a few months."

"Yeah, and so are you," Aria replied. "But I swear the things that come out of my mouth these days sound like an old married woman half the time."

Spencer shook her head at Aria. "I've still got you beat out on acting like an adult wise beyond my years."

Aria nodded, chuckling. "Maybe so, but not by much."

"Ladies!"

Their heads both whipped up as Mrs. Cameron – their study hall teacher slash supervisor – leaned down slightly on their shared table. They'd both had her for history in their freshman year. She was only a few years out of college, married, and expecting her first child over the coming summer. Both girls liked her, but she could be one to crack down on students if they were being too much of a nuisance.

"It would be very nice for the rest of the class if you two would quiet down, if you're absolutely insistent on continuing to talk. I'm pretty sure half the class knows your plans for tonight, Ms. Hastings."

Aria and Spencer both blushed and murmured apologies. Mrs. Cameron walked away a few moments later, and Aria and Spencer stayed quiet for the next few minutes, focusing on their work instead.

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Aria kept her focus on her work until Spencer smacked her arm lightly breaking her attention from what she was working on. Aria looked up at her for a second.

"What?"

Spencer nodded her head towards the front of the room as Mrs. Cameron pointed a man holding flowers towards their table.

"Oh God," Aria murmured under her breath as he walked towards them. She shot Spencer a glance, unsure of who the flowers were for. The man reached their table a few moments later. The name on his pin indicated that he worked for at the florist.

"Aria Montgomery?" He asked softly as he reached their table. Aria nodded, her cheeks flushing bright red. She could feel all the people looking at her, which only served to make her even more nervous.

"These are for you," he said before handing over the bouquet of flowers. It was a mixture of long-stemmed red and pink roses, and carnations, wrapped in plastic.

"Thanks," she whispered. She was too embarrassed by the public display to speak any louder. He turned and walked out of the room a moment later, and she tilted her head down to breathe in the scent. A smile crept onto her face as she did so.

As she moved to settle them on the side of the table, she spotted the edge of a small card resting in between two flowers. She pulled it free and opened the small envelope before pulling out the small card inside. It was a typed up message, simply saying 'I love you' with Ezra's name at the bottom. Still, she appreciated the thought, and the fact that he'd made the effort to do it in the first place.

If the other students had any inclination to keep staring at her, it wasn't really an option for more than a few more seconds as they began to pack up their bags. Aria struggled to write out a few more lines out before closing her notebook and beginning to pack up as well. The bell rang a few seconds later, and most of the students hurried out of the room; some headed off to lunch while others headed to their next class.

Aria finally finished packing her things into her bag, she and Spencer made her way back to her mother's classroom for creative writing. She couldn't help but continue to blush from the looks she received when her fellow students spotted the large bouquet of flowers in her hands.

They arrived at the classroom shortly after, and Aria dropped her things at her desk before walking over to Ella's office and peering into the door. Ella was nodding and scrawling something on a post-it while she held the phone to her ear.

"Alright. Seven PM, Friday. Yep, I've got it. Thanks."

Ella looked up as she settled the phone down on it's cradle, and turned her attention to Aria. Her eyes quickly fell to the flowers.

"And who are those for?" She asked curiously.

"Me," Aria murmured softly. "Can I leave them here until after school? People are looking at me."

Ella chuckled, but then nodded. "I just tossed some old flowers this morning." She grabbed an empty vase from the edge of the desk and handed it over to Aria in exchange for the flowers. "Go fill this."

Aria took the vase and made her way out of the room before heading down the hall to the bathroom. She stepped inside and walked over to one of the faucets. She turned the knob for the cold water and then placed the vase under it, letting the water run into it until it had filled the vase a little more than halfway. She proceeded to turn the water off and then exited the bathroom, walking back to her mother's classroom.

Once she had returned, she handed over the vase to Ella and followed her into her office. Ella placed the flowers into the vase, and then shooed Aria out of the small office, back into the regular classroom. Aria retreated to her seat in the middle of the room (her mother had apparently wanted her front and center every chance she got when she'd first made the seating chart at the beginning of the year) and pulled her things from her bag.

The bell rang a moment later, and Aria turned her attention to the note on the board for the called-for journal entry – a time in her life during which she felt the most love, or had seen it. It was entirely open-ended, meaning she could write about whatever she wanted. But as she looked up from her blank page to her mother's office, she spotted the flowers on her desk in the office. She bowed her head once more and began to write.

_-  
>They say I'll be okay, but I'm not going to ever get over you<br>__It really sinks in, you know, when I see it in stone  
>-<em>

"What are you guys having for dinner?" Aria asked as she settled the final few candles beside Spencer's bed.

Spencer lifted an apple pie out of the oven and settled it on the counter. It was one of the many things her parents had let Toby install after Spencer had moved into the barn.

"Toby is supposed to be picking it up on his way over, so I don't really know," Spencer replied.

Aria nodded as she walked over to the counter and grabbed the large thermos from the counter. She tipped it over her empty coffee mug and pressed a small lever on the handle. Caramel colored liquid began to pour into her cup. Spencer had made caramel macchiatos before Aria had arrived and poured them into the thermos until it was full for the both of them to drink while Aria helped her set up the barn.

Aria took a long sip from her mug and then nodded her head at the pie. "Did you buy that at the store or make it from scratch?"

Spencer scowled slightly. "I bought it. Couldn't make it because I didn't have enough time. So what are you and Ezra going to do tonight?" Her tone was lighter with the question, and Aria could see the mirth in her eyes.

She shook her head, settling the mug down on the counter before she grabbed the large lighter off the counter and walked across the room to start lighting candles.

"I swear one day you're going to write a book about you two and it'll be the next Fifty Shades," Spencer teased. Aria giggled, shaking her head.

"And what will the name of this book be?" Aria asked.

Spencer tapped her chin for a moment. "Lady Aria's Lover?"

Aria fell into a fit of giggles, mildly started and then only laughing harder when she dropped the lighter, but the small flame had already gone out. It took her more than a minute to recompose herself enough to reply to Spencer.

"Why not Fitz Feels Like Fornicating?"

Spencer shook her head at Aria, though she was laughing as well.

When Aria was entirely composed, she resumed lighting candles while Spencer slipped a tray of snickerdoodle cookies into the oven.

"You know, it's not as glamorous as it might seem," Aria said as she finished lighting the candles on the coffee table. "Sometimes I wish he was our age."

"And five minutes after that wish?" Spencer asked.

Aria nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment. She turned and looked back at Spencer. "Five minutes after the thought, I realize I'm probably an idiot, and change my mind. I just hate all the hurdles."

"But by what I've seen, every relationship has them," Spencer replied. "Toby's in Brookhaven most of the time. Emily and Paige have had their fair share of fighting. Caleb spends a lot of time by his mom now-"

"I know," Aria said, cutting Spencer off. "It's just exhausting sometimes."

"Would you give it up, though?" Spencer asked. "Given the option?"

Aria shook her head, knowing full well that she meant it. "Not for anything in this galaxy."

Once she had finished helping Spencer get the place set up, Aria headed back to the apartment. She had yet to hear from Ezra, except for a text message she'd gotten shortly after school let out alerting her that he wouldn't be back home until sometime between seven and eight PM.

She spent the better half of the evening working on dinner – fried chicken and sautéed vegetables – and finishing up the last bit of editing needed on the arrangement she'd written for Ezra. She had already stopped on her way back from Spencer's to get the collage she'd made printed and gotten a nice frame for it.

As she was pulling the last of the chicken off the stove, her phone began buzzing on the counter top, dangerously close to a puddle of water she'd caused when she'd overfilled the vase her flowers were in.

She quickly snatched the phone and answered the call before lifting the phone to her ear while she turned towards the plate where she'd been placing the chicken as she finished it. She grabbed the tongs from where they rested on the side of the plate. She lifted the chicken out of the skillet and placed it on the plate.

"Hello?" She asked. She hadn't bothered to check the ID when she'd answered.

"_Aria? Are you free right now?" _

Aria's brow furrowed. Why would Hardy be calling her at this time? "Um, yeah. Why?"

"_You have jumper cables, right?" _He asked.

Just that quickly, it made sense. "Your car died?" She asked as she placed the skillet back on the stove, on a burner that wasn't turned on. She turned off the one that she'd been cooking on and then picked up then grabbed the one dish cover that they owned and placed it over the plate.

"_Yeah. We're in Brookhaven at Olive Garden." _

Aria looked up at the clock and sighed. It was seven thirty, and it was a 20 minute drive to Brookhaven. "Okay. I'll be right there."

"_Thanks so much," _Hardy replied back.

The call ended a moment later, and Aria tucked her phone into her pocket. She walked into the next room and grabbed her calculus notebook from where it was laying on the table and turned over the page to a fresh sheet before grabbing a pen from the table and scribbling a quick note to Ezra that she'd be back soon.

Once she was finished, she looked over at the outfit she'd laid out to change into on the bed and bit down on her bottom lip before looking to the front door. Her foot tapped against the tile floor as she contemplated what to do.

After she'd made her choice, she donned her jacket and tugged her keys out of her pocket where she'd left them before heading out of the apartment. She rushed the car and checked the trunk to make sure the cables were there before she walked around her car and got in.

She turned the heat up and then turned the radio on as she pulled out of her parking spot. While there was snow on the road, there hadn't been a storm in the past few days, so the road were easier to drive than the could be.

She reached the city limits in a few minutes, and made her way onto the back roads that would get her to Brookhaven a little bit faster.

She reached the town just as the clock ticked to 8 PM. As she pulled into the restaurant parking lot, her phone began to buzz in her pocket. She rolled down her window as Hardy walked up.

"The cables are in the trunk. I hope you know how to use them," she said.

He nodded and headed around to the back of the car as Aria turned hers off. She pulled her phone from her pocket and answered the call before lifting it to her ear.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked.

"_Dinner's in the kitchen? No explanation to where you went?" _Ezra asked.

"Our siblings need their car jumped," Aria explained. Just as she finished speaking, Hardy told her to pop the front hood.

"_One other question," _Ezra said. _"What's with the clothes all over the bedroom?" _

Aria chuckled to herself. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Hardy called out to her to start her car, and then for Adriana to do the same. A few seconds later, their car purred to life.

"I should be back soon," she said. "Their car started."

"_Alright. Hurry back," _Ezra replied.

Aria ended the call and tucked her phone back into her pocket before turning off her car so Hardy could remove the cables. Once he had, he returned them to her trunk and then walked back to her window.

"Thanks," he murmured as he rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them.

Aria nodded. "You seriously need a new car."

Though there was a bit of a pout on Hardy's face, Aria could tell that he agreed with her.

"I've got plans to go look at some tomorrow," he replied. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill before offering it up to her.

"Hardy, I don't need-" She tried to tell him, but he shook his head and cut her off.

"I know you don't need it," he replied. "But I wouldn't feel right. You didn't have to drive all the way out here just for this. I don't care what you do with it. Just take it to make me feel better."

Aria's brow furrowed as she stared at him with an expression of discontent. She didn't want his money, but she knew fighting him was futile. She sighed and took the bill out of his hand and tucked it into her coat pocket.

"Thank you," he said.

Aria nodded, and then waited until he'd reached his car before she started hers up again and backed out of her parking space.

She arrived back and the apartment a short while later to find Ezra's car in his parking spot and lights on in their bedroom. She turned her car off and then made her way into the apartment before locking the door behind her.

"Ezra?" She called out as she walked up the short hallway.

"In the bedroom," he replied.

Aria walked over to the door and peered her head inside. Ezra was removing his vest.

Aria began to unbutton her coat as she stepped into the room. "How was your day?"

"It was fine. I was grading tests for most of the day so-…." His voice trailed off as he turned around. Aria was standing in front of him in knee-high leather boots and a lingerie getup that included a bustier and a pair of panties with lace trimming, complete with garters and fishnet stockings. His jaw was slack, and words entirely escaped him.

"Cat got your tongue?" Aria asked in a sultry tone.

"When did you have time to put that on?" He asked when he managed to find his words.

Aria walked over to him and smirked as she grabbed his tie. She yanked on it, pulling him closer to her. Her free hand traveled down to the buckle of his belt and began to tug on it. "I changed before I left. Not to worry, I never got out of the car."

Ezra stared down at her with lustful eyes, which only further enticed her as she unbuttoned his pants. She moved to slip her hand into them, but Ezra gripped her wrist, stopping her. Aria stared up at him, slightly surprised. A second later, he released her wrist and his hands slipped around her waist before moving down under her to grip her legs before he lifted her. Aria's legs linked around his back as she wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met in an open-mouthed kiss. Ezra's tongue moved into her mouth, fighting for dominance as he moved them to the bed and towered over her.

An hour later, they sat among the blankets on their bed, picking over a shared plate of food. Aria couldn't help but chuckle at the mess she'd made of Ezra's hair as she licked her index finger clean and then grabbed the napkin resting between them and wiped her hands off fully. She dropped it onto the plate a moment later before Ezra moved it to the bedside table behind him.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't be around at all today," he said once he'd turned back to her.

Aria shook her head at him, dismissing his apology. "You were working. It's not your fault. Besides, it gave me time to make you something."

"Oh really?" Ezra asked.

Aria nodded, turning to face the nightstand behind her. She opened the drawer under it and pulled out the picture frame. She turned back to him and nervously passed it to him.

Ezra looked it over. The pictures in the collage were all of the two of them from the past year and a half. His eyes fell upon the one in the middle at the bottom. It was the last photo that had been taken in his old apartment of the two of them. Across the middle of the collage were the words _'this is a state of grace', _with _'happy valentines day, babe' _at the bottom.

Ezra looked up at her and smiled. "This is very beautiful. Thank you."

"I wrote you something too," Aria said. "It's really dumb though."

Ezra's brow furrowed at her. "I somehow doubt that." He stared at her for a long moment before he reached behind him and placed the picture frame on the nightstand before he moved off the bed and walked over to the desk. He picked up a journal from it and then walked back over to the bed and sat on it. He looked up at Aria and tentatively offered up the journal.

"The page that's marked…When I wrote B-26, I wrote this too. I just never knew how to show it to you," he explained.

Aria could see the trepidation in his eyes, but curiosity enticed her to take the journal and turn it open to the page he was referring to.

_didn't mean to let this happen  
><em>_turning over in my bed  
><em>_wondering where it is you are  
><em>_and whether you thought we'd get this far_

_never meant to fall this way  
><em>_to stand right here and want you to stay  
><em>_i remember when I told you it all  
><em>_but I never thought that I'd fall this far..._

_want to tell her  
><em>_just how much I love her_

_turn up the lights  
><em>_cause the sun's coming up  
><em>_like touching diamonds  
><em>_because you're all that I lack_

_you think if you could touch  
><em>_the inside of a beating heart  
><em>_it would feel this amazing  
><em>_that it would hurt this much_

_stop and stare  
><em>_from too far away  
><em>_this has got to be right  
><em>_because she's gotta stay  
><em>_doesn't she know I love her?_

Aria looked up at Ezra with tears in her eyes. They'd had many conversations about that period of time during which they weren't sure their relationship would last in the beginning, but she'd never known that he had written anything this meaningful. In some ways, it hit her even harder than reading B-26 had.

"Ezra…"

He chuckled and reached up to wipe the tears off her face. "It's not that big of a deal."

"But it is," she countered. "Now I feel dumb for not wanting to show you what I wrote."

"Then do I get to see it?" He asked.

"No," Aria replied as she moved off the bed. "But you can hear it."

She walked into the other room to retrieve her guitar from where she'd left it and then walked back into the bedroom. "If this sucks, it's not my fault."

Ezra smirked, trying to contain his laughter. Aria had played songs for him plenty of times, and she had yet to play something that he didn't like.

She began to strum her guitar, keeping her eyes on it as her cheeks pinked from nerves. She forced herself to clear her throat so that she wouldn't sound like a shy three year old asking for a cookie before dinner.

"_I'm walking fast through the traffic lights  
><em>_Busy streets and busy lives  
><em>_And all we know is touch and go  
><em>_We are alone with our changing minds  
><em>_We fall in love 'til it hurts or bleeds or fades in time  
><em>_And I never saw you coming  
><em>_And I'll never be the same…"_

As she often did, she began to gain her confidence once she'd started singing and Ezra didn't stop her because she was making his ears bleed.

"_You come around and the armor falls  
><em>_Pierce the room like a cannon ball  
><em>_Now all we know is don't let go  
><em>_We are alone just you and me  
><em>_Up in your room and our slates are clean  
><em>_Just twin fire signs, four blue eyes_

_So you were never a saint and I love that the shades are wrong?  
><em>_We learn to live with the pain mostly our broken hearts?  
><em>_But this love is brave and wild?  
><em>_And I never saw you coming  
><em>_And I'll never be the same  
><em>_This is a state of grace  
><em>_This is the worthwhile fight  
><em>_Love is a ruthless game  
><em>_Unless you play it good and right_

_These are the hands of faith  
><em>_You're my Achilles heel  
><em>_This is the golden age of  
><em>_Something good and right and real  
><em>_  
>And I never saw you coming<br>__And I'll never be the same  
><em>_And I never saw you coming  
><em>_And I'll never be the same  
><em>_This is a state of grace  
><em>_This is the worthwhile fight  
><em>_Love is a ruthless game  
><em>_Unless you play it good and right…."_

It was quiet for a few moments after as Aria stood there slightly nervous. The realization that she'd she was singing to her boyfriend wearing nothing but a t-shirt and her guitar to cover her still set her nerves on end. She looked up at him tentatively and Ezra chuckled.

"Why are you so nervous?!"

"Because I sound like a blathering idiot," she replied. "I'm so in love with a guy a write a song about him? Wow, that's so Taylor Swift."

Ezra laughed, shaking his head as he walked over to her. He cupped her face in his hands and tilted it up to kiss her. "You're not a blathering idiot. You're very amazing, and I love you."

Aria wrinkled her nose at him and then pushed up onto the tips of her toes to kiss him once more. "I guess I love you too. You know, for the sake of the holiday and everything."

Ezra laughed, taking her guitar out of her hands and letting it rest up against the dresser before he turned and looked back at her. "You _guess _you love me?"

Aria nodded, giggling as she grinned at him. A moment later, she squealed as Ezra leaned down and then threw her over his shoulder. As her upper half dangled over his shoulder she began to scream with laughter as he tickled the back of her shins.

"Are you _sure_ you just guess?" He laughed.

"Ezra, put me down!" She screamed as she continued to laugh. Her legs kicked, but he had his grip tight enough on her that she couldn't get away.

"Answer me first!" He insisted.

"Okay, okay! I **do** love you!" Her gut ached as she continued to giggle, trying to get away from his fingers. He finally walked over to the bed and turned around before tossing her down on it and hovering over her. Aria tried to stop giggling as she stared up at him.

"You're the meanest person I know," she said when she managed to catch her breath. "Using my own weaknesses against me."

"On the contrary," Ezra replied. "I'm the greatest super villain you've ever met."


	22. Take The Deepest Breath

**A/N:** This chapter comes to you after a two months writing hiatus, during which I had no idea how to fill a 2 month gap with this story. I let myself get flooded with some different ideas that I'm really enjoying writing, but in the past when I've been through something emotionally traumatic, it usually causes me to drop whatever I'm writing. That didn't sit well with me considering I've put over a year into this series. (40 turned 1 on December 20th :)) That said, I'm planning to try and get Say done before IT turns one, and then it's onto part 3!

_Chapter 22_

_Take The Deepest Breath_

Aria yawned as she flipped through the binder resting on the table in front of her. While Adriana had been very hands-on with every aspect of her wedding so far, there had been a few things that Aria had still had to take care of given that she was the maid of honor. Technically she wouldn't be signing the marriage certificate because she wouldn't be of legal age, but all other duties had fallen to her.

She'd already gotten in touch with Adriana's two other bridesmaids and arranged plans for the bachelorette party to take place the weekend before the wedding. Aria, Adriana, Ezra, and Hardy were already going to be there prepping for the wedding as it was, and it simply made it easier to wait until then. Plus, given that none of them would be of legal age, she knew there was a very likely chance that the bachelorette party would probably the four girls locked in a hotel room with sugar-loaded snacks and chick flicks.

She looked up at the couch and watched for a few moments as Ezra typed determinedly on his laptop. She knew he'd been hard at work for the past few weeks on a story, but he had yet to tell her even the smallest bit of information.

"Did you finish reading my paper yet?" She asked as she flipped the binder shut.

Ezra continued to type, barely glancing up at her. "Earlier today. It was good. I just marked the typos. Shouldn't take you more than a few minutes to edit it."

Aria nodded, chewing her bottom lip as she watched him. "You know, I've got half a mind to come sit over there and read over your shoulder."

Ezra's head suddenly popped up, and he looked over at Aria. "Have I been that neglectful?"

Aria chuckled. "You've barely said anything to me in the past week when I didn't outright ask you a question, babe. I know you're really into this idea, but you've barely said a word to me."

Ezra sighed, hitting a few keys on his keyboard before pushing down the lid of his laptop. "I'm sorry. I figured I'd strike while the iron was hot. It hasn't really cooled yet."

Aria shoved her textbooks into her school bag and then walked over to the couch and sat down next to Ezra, pulling her legs up onto the couch behind her. "So are you going to tell me what you're writing about?"

Ezra chuckled, shaking his head at her. "If it sucks, it'll be in my trash bin faster than you can say Unpaved Road."

Aria's entire expression perked up. "Is that the title?"

Ezra shook his head, deadpanning the entire time.

"I really hate-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and Ezra popped up off the couch.

"I believe that's fate intervening," Ezra said as he made his way over to the door.

Aria crossed her arms as she stood up. "**I **believe that's you ducking out on admitting whatever it is you're afraid to say. Maybe I should just steal your computer when you're sleeping."

"Good luck," Ezra said with his back to her as he reached the door. "I changed the password."

"To what? One two three password? I Love Aria? She's the greatest?"

Ezra opened the door, and any sense he might've had to reply to her seemed to be gone as he stood there silently.

"What's going on over there?" Aria asked from where she stood. "Whose at the door?"

"Aria, get ice," he replied as he stepped aside to let whoever it was into the apartment. "And a bowl of water. Towels,…" His voice trailed off as he shut the door, and Aria immediately dashed over to him.

"Mike!? What the hell happened?!" She cried as she slipped her arm under him before he fell over. They stumbled into the sitting room and then Aria helped him into one of the chairs at the table while Ezra gathered the things he'd initially told her to.

"I was hanging out with some of the guys at the court. One of them made a comment about you, and some of the others started in on it. I got pissed," Mike muttered, wincing as he touched a cut on his bottom lip.

Aria sighed, shaking her head. "Mike, you shouldn't have let them make you mad."

He glared at her. "You might not live at home anymore, but you're still my sister Aria. I'm not just going to sit back and listen while guys are saying stuff about you."

Ezra returned to the room and Aria moved to the side as he dipped one of the towels into the water and then leaned down to eyelevel with Mike, swiping the towel across his face.

"I'm calling dad," she replied as she picked up her phone from the table.

"So that he can be a dick and talk trash to you when he shows up?" Mike commented. He winced again as Ezra pressed the towel to his lip. "Just call mom."

Aria sighed again, pressing through a series of options on her phone. When she'd found Ella's contact info, she clicked on it and then lifted the phone to her ear, listening as the phone began to ring.

"Your sister is right," Ezra said as he gently swiped at the large cut on Mike's lip. "You shouldn't bother arguing with people who are ignorant enough to say things about us."

"**She's my sister**," Mike insisted angrily.

"Yeah, and she's my girlfriend," Ezra countered in the same tone. "And believe me when I say, I absolutely **hate **hearing people say bad things about her, or us. But at the end of the day, I can't change other people's minds. Some of them have their beliefs because of things they've seen. Others have them out of fear. And some are just plain stupid and ignorant. But that doesn't mean you should go trying to be the hero against a group of idiots. Even I know it's better to walk away from that than engage."

"Do you even have a sister?" Mike continued to argue.

Ezra sighed, settling the towel on the table and picking up another one as he turned his attention to a large wound on Mike's forearm. "As a matter of fact, I do. She's engaged to my best friend, who happens to be a professor at Hollis. You're sadly mistaken if you don't think I haven't heard comments about them that have made me want to fight someone."

Aria huffed, pulling her phone away from her ear. "Mom didn't pick up. I'm calling dad."

Mike shook his head at her, but resigned the argument anyway.

Aria searched through her contacts yet again until she found Byron's number, and then exited the room.

"She's going to cause trouble letting him come here," Mike commented as he looked over the side of his arm to get a better view of the wound on his arm as Ezra reached for bandaging on the table.

"I've learned easily in the last year and a half that arguing with Aria about some things is fruitless. All you'll do in the end is make her angry with you." Ezra replied.

"So I should just shut my mouth so that he can hurt her again?" Mike asked. "C'mon, Ezra-"

Ezra huffed, pressing a thick piece of gauze onto Mike's arm. He looked up at the younger man. "I'm not saying I don't agree, but sometimes Aria has to fall down on her own without anyone there to catch her. She won't learn if someone's always stopping her from throwing herself off the ledge."

"So you think she should just step into the line of fire freely and let him barrel her down with all the crap he says about you two when you're not around?" Mike asked.

Ezra shook his head, reaching for bandage wrapping. "No, I don't. But this is **my** home, not his. And I won't stand by and let him abuse me or your sister in my own home."

Aria returned to the room a few moments later, and Ezra grabbed the towels from the table before heading into the bathroom with them.

"Dad is on his way," Aria said as she tucked her phone into her pocket.

"He should still take you to the hospital," Ezra said as he returned to the room. "I doubt you're going to let any of us help you with any other wounds you might have, and you could have cracked ribs."

Mike just huffed rolled his eyes at them.

Five minutes later, there was anxious wrapping on the door, alerting them all of Byron's arrival. Aria, Ezra, and Mike all exchanged nervous glances before Aria inhaled a deep breath and walked over to the door. She was not prepared for what stood on the other side.

She had barely opened her mouth when Byron practically barreled into the apartment, quickly demanding to know where Mike was. Of course, as soon as he reached the end of the short hallway and spotted Mike, he was at his son's side.

"What happened to you?" Byron asked in a worried voice? "Who did this? Why?"

Mike shook his head, holding an ice pack to his lip that Ezra had given him a few minutes earlier. "It was just some guys at the basketball court. They were being dicks; saying stuff about Aria."

"And you got into it with them?!" Byron growled, though it was clear that it was more because Mike had obviously gone up against the boys alone. "What made you think you could take on multiple people on your own? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"They didn't even hurt me that bad," Mike replied. "I **told** Aria she didn't need to call you."

"Yes, well…" Byron paused for a moment, and though she stood off to the side with an obscured view of Byron's face, she could still see the distaste in his face. She watched as his eyes traveled the room, taking in the various pictures. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not when she saw, just for a slight second, the ghost of a smile on his lips as his eyes fell upon a photo of she and Adriana. They were standing next to each other with their arms wrapped around each other, holding a large piece of stock board. They'd colored it and then covered it with glitter with the words '**don't be unhappy**' one day when they'd been bored. It had eventually ended up back at Hardy and Adriana's apartment, but Aria still kept the photo that Ezra had taken the day they'd drawn it.

Just next to the photo however, was one from a few days after Christmas. Aria and Ezra had visited Ella, and Zack and Mike had also been there when they arrived. At some point during the day, she and Ella had agreed to let Mike take a photo, and Zack and Ezra had joined in. The resulting photo had quickly found its place in the same frame holding the one of her and Adriana.

"Get your things, Mike," Byron said in a disgusted tone.

Mike stood from his chair and grabbed the few things he'd brought with him before Byron told him to head to the car. Before he could open his mouth to insist he'd wait for Byron, thus thwarting any attempt Byron might make to get upset, Aria quickly hugged him and told him she'd see him the next day.

After Mike had left the apartment, Byron turned his attention to Ezra.

"I should've figured the abuse my daughter's dealt with because of you would eventually spread to my son."

"How can you blame **any **of this on Ezra?!" Aria said angrily as she came to stand in front of Byron. "It's not his fault that people are ignorant-minded!"

"You're seventeen, Aria!" Byron argued, turning his attention to her. "He's 23!"

Aria crossed her arms once more. "I'm legally emancipated, remember? You signed the papers."

"Yeah, well you didn't leave your mother or I much room on that one. I never thought you'd be so ignorant as to actually tear our family apart," he said disgustedly.

Any reserve Aria had left at that point to not completely let Byron have it quickly disappeared as she uncrossed her arms and slapped him as hard as her tiny body could manage. She suddenly felt as if she was embodying her mother as her hand curled into a fist, wagging her index finger at Byron like a child.

"**I** did **not** tear this family apart, **Byron**! That was you, and Meredith! You cut it all down to size on your own. If anything, I kicked a little bit of debris, but you tore the whole damn foundation up and out from under us! You wonder why mom is happier with Zack, or Mike is depressed?! It's because **you** tore us apart! It never ceases to sicken me how you can call **this** wrong when you so simply excuse what you did as letting your feelings overtake you. **I** fought my feelings **as hard **as I could! And so did he," she yelled, pointing at Ezra. "What the fuck did you do?!"

Byron glared back at her with the same angered expression, and to an outsider, the argument between them probably seemed like one in the same. Even so, in a rare moment of maturity, the older Montgomery inhaled a ragged breath and turned and exited the apartment, refusing to engage further in the argument.

Ezra stayed where he was standing, far too wary to move from his spot and go anywhere near Aria, or to even try and ask her if she was okay at the moment. He knew that she would speak when she was ready.

_-  
>I see you true colours shining through<br>__I see your true colors and that's why I love you  
>-<em>

"Mom?"

Ella looked up from the paper she was currently grading and smiled at Aria. "Hey, sweetie. What's up?" Her brow furrowed slightly. "It's almost 4 o'clock. Why aren't you at home?"

Aria sighed, walking into the darkening room. The lamp on Ella's desk did little to light the room very much. "I was at Spencer's trying to study, and all I could think about was Mike."

Ella nodded. "He dropped by last night. Mentioned you and your father got into quite an argument."

Aria nodded, leaning back against her desk. "I might've told him that it was all his own fault that our family fell apart," she murmured.

Ella settled her pen down on her desk. "I wouldn't necessarily say that."

Aria looked up at Ella and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Ella nodded, pushing back from her desk. She walked over to Aria and leaned against the desk next to her, wrapping an arm around her daughter. "Don't assume that I'm saying it's you that did it, though. What I mean is that there's more that I could've done to fight for what we had. To be honest, I've always believed that any couple can fix their problems if they both really want to and will honestly put the effort into it. Some just won't."

"Are you saying you gave up?" Aria asked as she continued to look at her mother.

"In some ways, yes," Ella replied, nodding. "But I don't think that everyone does. I just think that everyone has their breaking point, and some couples are stronger than others. In the face of it all, your father and I were rather weak."

Aria's brow furrowed deeply. "How can you say that? You were married for almost twenty years."

Ella chuckled, running her hand up and down Aria's forearm. "Yes, but we live in Rosewood, where nothing ever happens. I don't really think that we had the kind of relationship that was ever been tested much, to be honest. We had things pretty easy until we started doing everything wrong, to put it simply. And after your father's affair, there was simply no way we could ever get back the trust we'd lost."

"You really believe that?" Aria asked.

Ella nodded solemnly. "I think that when reality finally gave your father and I a reality **check**, your father and I failed across the board. All the things this family went through in the last three years should've strengthened us. Instead it just broke us down. And that's no one's fault but your fathers and my own."

"Do you think you guys would still be together in a different world?" Aria inquired. "I mean where everything made us stronger instead of weaker."

Ella inhaled a deep breath. "I don't know. I've thought about it. And when I do, I like to think that your father would have rejected Meredith **and **would have informed me that she had come onto him. I'd like to think that would've affected you enough that when you and Ezra had met, you would've come to us and explained the situation."

Ella sighed softly, shaking her head. "When I think back on all the things that tore our family apart now, I see a lot more. Under it all, I see how you probably gave up on any hope that you could glue us back together perfectly, so you went looking for someone else to show you the things you needed, subconsciously."

"I always wait for the other shoe to drop with Ezra," Aria admitted. "Even though we've been together this long… no one marries their first real love anymore. I'm always wondering what I'm finally going to do that drives him away from me."

Ella shook her head, turning to look at Aria. "I don't believe that. If he was going to leave you, it would have been long before now, Aria. That boy loves you too much to lose you now."

Aria chewed her lip for a moment, knowing it would be futile to argue her mother on the subject. She looked up at the blackboard. "All I've been able to think about since yesterday is how I'm getting out of here in a little more than two months, and Mike is still going to be stuck here for two more years. Stuck with dad, and all of the crap that I did."

Ella brushed a strand of hair behind Aria's ear. "You didn't **do** anything, Aria. Just because Byron doesn't believe that doesn't mean anything. You know that Mike knows better than what your father believes. You've known that all along."

"Yeah, but-"

Ella shook her head. "No buts. Have faith that Mike will know when to walk away. Your brother is a smart person who's quite capable of making his own decisions. He's not five anymore and needing your assistance on the playground."

Aria bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from crying. "I just don't want to lose him because of dad."

"Sibling bonds are a lot tougher than you might think. After all, Mike tells me that you two have barely talked since Christmas, right?" Ella asked.

Aria nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Ella chuckled. "And yet he still came to you and Ezra last night, instead of your father. Your brother still loves you very much so. Believe in that."

"But what if he ever **does** start to believe what dad says?" Aria asked.

Ella shook her head, chuckling again. "I'll set him straight."

_-  
>There's no guarantee that this will be easy<br>__Its not a miracle you need, believe me  
>-<em>

Aria's lips moved in sync with the music playing through her headphones as she looked over her English paper one last time. She was desperately trying to ignore all the things that were bugging her by turning up her music as loud as it would go and focusing on other things. Even so, she wasn't doing as well as she hoped.

"Hi!"

Aria jumped at the sudden sound in her ear, and turned her head to see Adriana standing behind her. Aria chuckled, exhaling a heavy breath before she removed her headphones from her head and let them settle around her neck as Adriana walked around the couch.

"Hey," Aria finally replied. "What's up?"

Adriana shrugged. "Nothing much. Just haven't seen you much lately, and I was bored. Also, I wanted to ask since the guys are headed to Florida next week, if you wanted to stay with me at the loft."

"Sure," Aria said, pushing down the lid to her laptop. She removed her headphones from around her neck and turned off the music completely before moving both onto the table. "So how's life?"

Adriana slumped back in the chair she was seated in and sighed. "Stressful. I'm studying for mid-terms and arguing with a florist because he says that the quote he gave me on the arrangements I picked out didn't actually happen."

"I'm sure it's just bullshit. Arguing your case, especially if you've got proof, should yield some responses. And, if all else fails, make comments about them on some sort of public forum." Aria offered.

"Do you really think putting something on the internet about them is going to do much?" Adriana asked disbelievingly.

Aria shrugged. "I'm not necessarily saying that, but I imagine if you say something in the right place to the right people, it'll definitely shake things up. Either way, saying nothing isn't going to get you anywhere other than pissed."

"I guess," Adriana agreed. "Anyway, what have you been up to?"

Aria chuckled. "The same as you. Studying for midterms. Planning for next week when Hardy and Ezra are out of town. And then there's my family as usual."

Adriana's brow furrowed. "I thought things were going well with your family."

"With my mom and my brother it is," Aria explained. "My father is still as angry as ever, and I still don't understand why."

"Ezra said he showed up here the other day and you two got into an argument," Adriana commented.

Aria nodded. "I don't even really understand why he got so angry. All I know is he was looking at those pictures, and then all of a sudden he was furious at me. I honestly think that he blames me for leaving. Like it's my fault that our family fell apart after all of that."

"Gee, I wonder if he knows my dad," Adriana commented.

"I just don't understand why he hates Ezra so much," Aria replied. "My father, I mean. And its like he's mad at my mom and brother by association because they don't see things the way he does. I mean I can respect it if he doesn't agree with my life choices and if that was the only thing. But I just…don't think it is."

"Then go with your gut," Adriana replied. "You'll probably end up being right."

Aria nodded, drumming her fingers against each other as she sat forward on the couch. She looked back up at Adriana. "Do you ever regret meeting Sebastian?"

Without a signal moment passing, Adriana shook her head.

"Really?" Aria asked as she raised her eyebrows.

Adriana nodded. "I'd rather know what he's really like than live the rest of my life in disillusioned reality where I believed he was capable of changing."

Aria nodded.

"Anyway, on the subject of him…do you remember a while back when I suggested you sing something at the wedding?" Adriana asked. Aria nodded again.

"I figured out what I want you to sing," Adriana explained. "Stupid Boy."

Aria's brow knit in confusion. "Stupid Boy as in the country song?"

Adriana nodded again. "I always used to joke that I would play it at my wedding, but there's something so realistic to what it means lately, and it just would mean a lot. I mean, unless you had something else in mind. I don't want to step on your toes-"

"No, no," Aria dismissed quickly. "Just, is Hardy aware of the reason why you want it played?"

"Yeah," Adriana replied. "He seems to think it's a great idea too. I think he just really hates my dad."

Aria laughed. "I could definitely see that. Although, I'm curious to see what it's going to be like being around his family that whole night."

"I'm sure one of his parents will be drunk before dinner is even through," Adriana replied. "His sister Valerie and I have bets on it being their mom."

Aria nodded. "She's the one who still lives at home with them, right?"

Adriana nodded. "I feel so bad about it too. It's not as though they're abusive or anything, but they aren't there for her at all."

"Because they're both alcoholics?" Aria questioned.

Adriana shook her head. "They just treat her like she doesn't exist. They're filthy rich and throw money at her all the time like that's supposed to keep her satisfied. I mean, my family is well off, but…well, they think that the trust funds that Ezra and I have are 'cute'. Hardy wants to take custody of her once we move to New York at the end of the semester."

Aria's eyes widened in surprise. "You? Sharing a bathroom with a teenager? How old is she?"

"Fifteen," Adriana murmured, blushing slightly. There was no secret that she was known for her love of makeup. "And we're looking at apartments bigger than a closet. Definitely bigger than what we're living in right now."

"But you're seriously going to be okay with basically having to parent at the age of twenty?" Aria inquired.

"People have done it younger," Adriana replied simply. "And as much as I know that teenagers can be a pain, something tells me that Val will be a **lot **happier in a home where she's actually treated with any kind of understanding and respect. Hardy told her he wanted to do take her at Christmas, and she actually cried. I honestly think that if he could've taken her right there and then, he would have."

Aria smiled. "It's so nice to see that he's grown up so much from the frat boy I met a year and a half ago."

Adriana laughed. "Right? Sometimes he catches me when I'm watching him, and I can't help but feel like I must be crazy because he's nothing like the eighteen year-old I met five years ago."

"And thank **god**," Aria giggled. "I think I'd have to smack you upside the head if you were going to marry the guy he was back then. Actually, I wouldn't have minded being around then just to see what it was like when you two first met."

Adriana continued to laugh. "He was evil! He'd put rubber spiders in my room and jump out from around corners to scare me…"

"When did that all change?" Aria asked.

Adriana considered the question for a few moments. "Last year for new years, we both were out at snookers, and one of my friends dared me to kiss one of the professors," she said giggling. Her cheeks flushed red as Aria gaped at her. "So of course, I wasn't going to kiss someone that was like fifty… I spotted Hardy in the crowd and just went for it. I don't even think either of us expected that it would change things, but it did. We kept things from Ezra for as long as we could, but when it escalated to the point where 'I love you's were being thrown around, I knew it was time to come clean."

"Wow," Aria murmured. "Did you really think that would happen when it did?"

Adriana shook her head. "No, in fact I was sure the next morning when I got up to go home – I didn't sleep with him – that he was going to tell me that he'd had fun and we should do it again, like guys do when they want to hook up with you. I didn't ever in a million years think we'd be here now."

"Funny how life works out that way," Aria commented. "Putting you in situations you never would expect and then leaving you to wonder how they even got that way."


	23. Take It When You Leave

**A/N: **Even though I've decided to recommit to my plan from last year (not watching the season until it's over), I still have seen a few spoilers (not many because I've avoided them for the most part since September), and given the fact that this chapter *cough cough* is a filler to get to the next chapter, I wanted to include **something** that would be furthering the plot, even if only with minor characters. That said…

_Chapter 23_

_Take It When You Leave_

Spring was beginning to sweep its way through the northeastern region of the country by mid-March. The last of the snow was melting, and the warming weather gave light to the brightening greenery throughout Rosewood, left shiny by the rain that replaced the melting snow. People were quickly ditching their winter jackets in place of rain coats and thick hoodies. Aria had even tucked her own winter jacket away in turn for use of several of Ezra's and her own sweaters, and – on the rare case that she decided it was needed – the only rain coat she owned.

The sun beat down over her back – the weather was supposed to reach the fifties by mid-day – as she sat in the courtyard of the high school. Her lunch sat beside her as she stared down at her phone, trying to make her way through the myriad of messages. Ezra and Hardy had only left that morning for Florida, and she was already getting messages about their trip. They'd been sent by Hollis along with several other professors to learn about information in their prospective fields of study, and hopefully return with information to share.

"Do you have plans tonight?"

Aria looked up and smiled as Mike stood in front of her. She hadn't seen him in a few days, though she wasn't sure if it was because of Byron or because he had just been busy. "Not really. I'm not at home though."

"Oh," Mike replied. "I don't want to get in the way-"

"No, no," Aria said quickly. "Ezra and Hardy are out of town for a conference, so I'm staying with Adriana. It's not far from the house, actually. I'll give you the address."

"Are you sure she won't mind?" Mike asked.

Aria shrugged. "Who cares? I'm sure it won't matter. What's up anyway?"

Mike shrugged, sitting down on the spot next to her. "You're moving in a few months. I just want to hang out with you as much as I can. Is that too much to ask?"

Aria shook her head, reaching down to grab a french fry off her tray. "I just know you well enough to know that this isn't all about wanting to hang out. Are things okay with dad?"

Mike forced a smile. "Sort of. I've been spending more time at mom's place lately. Have you met her new boyfriend?"

Aria nodded, chuckling. "On Valentines Day. I may have pointed out the fact that he was younger than mom."

Mike chuckled. "That's great. But I mean, I get free scones, so…"

Aria laughed, shaking her head at him. "I'd have gone for the free coffee. Actually, wait, I **have**. It's actually not bad."

"Never thought I'd see the day when Rosewood would start becoming one of those towns filled with coffee shops and trying to look like a quaint, homely place."

Aria's brow furrowed. "Isn't that how Rosewood has _**always**_ tried to come off as?"

Mike laughed, "I guess you got me there."

_.,.  
>You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands<br>__Shake it off, then you stand  
>.,.<em>

"Don't you ever get sick of playing music?"

Aria looked up at Adriana and chuckled as she turned her attention back to her guitar. "I guess not. Don't you ever get sick of studying?"

Adriana grinned. "Life without studying isn't really life. We study everything around us. It wouldn't feel right if I wasn't."

Aria giggled at Adriana's obnoxious response before she began strumming the guitar in her lap once more. Her body rocked rhythmically with each chord variation, humming the melody of the song instead of singing it.

"Shouldn't you be doing homework too?" Adriana asked a moment later as she looked over her shoulder.

"I don't have any," Aria responded cheerfully. "I finished it at school today."

"Just wait for college," Adriana teased. "You'll be wishing for extra study time."

Aria chuckled, turning her attention back to her guitar. She continued to play it, though for Adriana's benefit she played a little less loudly and hummed softer.

Just as she finished the second song, a buzzing emitted through the apartment, alerting them of an arrival. Aria had told Adriana earlier in the day that Mike would be dropping by, and the older female had been perfectly fine with it, just as Aria had expected she would be.

She settled her guitar against the couch and walked over to the console on the wall to push the button that would unlock the door to the building and allow Mike access. Afterwards, she walked back over to the her guitar and picked it up, lying it down inside its case before she pulled down the top and locked it shut before she stood it up and leaned it against one of the walls. By the time she had done so, there was a soft rapping on the loft door.

Aria walked over to it and turned the lock before sliding the door open. A smile crossed her face as she saw Mike standing there holding two pizza boxes.

"You brought food?" She asked cheerfully.

Mike nodded, stepping inside with the boxes. Aria directed him to the bar and then closed the door behind him before following him over to the bar. She opened up one of the boxes and immediately stole a piece of pizza out of the box.

She turned a moment later to see Adriana sneakily making her way across the room. Aria chuckled.

"Adriana this is my brother, Mike," she said in an introductory tone. "Mike this is my future sister-in-law, Adriana."

Mike's brow furrowed. "Ezra-"

"No," Adriana said before he'd even asked he question. "I have faith that he'll ask soon, though."

Mike nodded. They stood there for a few moments before he gestured to the boxes of pizza. "Please, help yourself."

Adriana peered over the boxes for a moment before she reached past Aria and grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza out of the box in front of her before she walked back across the room to where her books where strewn about on the one desk she and Hardy shared.

"So what's up?" Aria asked as she sat down on one of the stools at the counter.

Mike looked over at Adriana warily for a moment before he sat down on the stool next to Aria's, taking a piece of pizza for himself. Though he set it down in front of him as if he was going to eat it, Aria could see that he'd taken it more as a formality than anything else.

"Mike?" Aria asked, if not a bit nervously. "Did something happen? Is something wrong?"

He looked up at her and exhaled a sigh. "I don't really know. But I can't tell mom or dad, and I figured I should run it past you before I went to anyone else."

Aria nodded slowly. "Okay. What's up?"

Even as they sat there in the moments of silence passing, Mike said nothing. Neither of them touched their slices of pizza, waiting for the words that seemed like they were determined not to come.

After several long minutes, Mike finally sighed and shook his head at himself. "I've been seeing someone."

Aria's eyes widened in surprise, but a smile quickly pulled across her face. "That's great! Who is she? Do I know her? What grade is she in? Does she go to Rosewood-"

"Aria!" Mike laughed nervously.

Aria blushed, though she was still smiling. "Sorry. I flew off the handle there a bit. Why do you think that mom and dad would be upset that you're seeing someone?"

"It's not necessarily **that **I'm seeing someone," Mike explained. "More about _who_ I'm seeing."

Aria stared at him for several seconds, trying and failing to decode what he was saying to her. "As in…does Meredith have a younger sister or something?"

"No," Mike replied, rolling his eyes. "It's um…it's not a girl."

Aria's gaped at him – just slightly, and only for a moment. As soon as what he said registered in her mind, she smiled. "Just to be sure,…You're not talking about carrying on an affair with a dog or something, right?"

The look Mike gave her was priceless, and they both laughed, but her comment lightened the mood considerably. Aria could quickly see that the stress he was feeling was quickly dissipating.

"I'm only kidding," she insisted. "But I still have all the same questions."

Mike looked down at his uneaten slice of pizza on the counter. "Yes, you know him. And yes, he goes to Rosewood. Do you remember that guy you were friends with in elementary school?"

"Holden?" Aria asked. The expression on Mike's face quickly gave away that Holden was in fact who he was referring to. Just like that, everything seemed to click into place. Aria smiled. "Oh, Mike, that's so great. I mean, he's not mean to you or anything-"

"No," Mike responded easily. "We… have fun together."

"How did you meet?" Aria asked curiously.

Mike shrugged, finally appearing to not feel as stressed as he had, as he picked up his slice of pizza and took a small bite out of it. "He was at the library one night when I was studying. I got bored and went to get something to eat, and he did too. We just started talking. It went from there."

Aria couldn't help the smile on her face. "I'm so happy for you Mike. I'm so glad you've got someone who makes you happy. Holden is great." She paused for a moment, and then reconsidered what he had said when they'd first started to talk – his nervousness of telling their parents about this. "If I know mom as well as I think I do, I don't think she's going to have a problem with this at all. I can't really speak for dad anymore."

"You really think so?" Mike asked.

Aria nodded. "Mom and dad love you, Mike. After everything that's happened in the last two years, I can only imagine that they just want the best for you, like I do. Holden isn't a drug dealer or involved in anything shady, so…"

Mike considered her words for a few moments before nodding. "I guess so. It just feels like our family has been rocked so much this year. I don't want to be the one that breaks it for good."

"You're **not **going to break our family, Mike." Aria insisted as she pulled a piece of pepperoni off her slice of pizza and popped it into her mouth. "If anyone is going to do that, it'd be dad. He's been doing a pretty good job of that as it is."

_.,.  
>Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight<br>__Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
>.,.<em>

While Aria enjoyed spending more time with Adriana on their own, she quickly came to realize how frustrating it could be to stay in a one bedroom apartment with another female when it meant either sharing a bed, or someone sleeping on the couch. After only one day, they made the decision to stay at her and Ezra's apartment, finding that they enjoyed the extra room. It was also closer to Hollis and gave the more room to spread themselves instead of being confined to the sitting room for the entire day.

Even with the boys gone, though, life continued to take place. Aria still got up in the morning to go to school, and still went to work afterwards. By the time Tuesday night rolled around, Aria was not only exhausted, but she was missing Ezra.

"The bed is so cold without you in it," Aria whined as she flipped through the TV channels.

"_So why not sleep with my sister," _Ezra laughed on the other end of the phone. _"Not in our bed, of course." _

Aria rolled her eyes at him. "For one thing, she kicks. And for another,…I don't want to. Seriously, why did you have to go to Florida anyway? You're not going to be there next year."

"_I don't make these decisions," _Ezra replied. _"And we'll be home Friday night. The last meeting is supposed to end at 2, and we'll be on the first flight out of here then. I'm sure by the time you get home from work, I'll be there." _

Aria huffed, settling the TV remote beside her as she settled on a lifetime movie. "That's still tonight and two more nights that I have to sleep alone without you. Maybe I should just get a dog and let him sleep on the other side of the bed."

"_I'll be home in two days," _Ezra laughed.

"Two days," Aria exclaimed, as if that said it all.

"_You give away my spot in bed to a canine, and I will rent every clown movie that blockbuster has when I get home, and then tie you to a chair and force you to watch them." _Ezra replied.

"Ezra!" She couldn't help but laugh even as she scolded him for the comment. "Just for that, I should call Holden and ask him if Beasley wants to come visit for a few days."

"_Clown Town One…" _Ezra said as if he was actually making a list.

"I swear to God, I will hang up on you," Aria said.

"_And I will promptly start sending you photos of the creepiest clowns I can find online until I get home," _Ezra retorted. Aria could hear the laughter in his voice.

"You've got to be the meanest person I have ever met," she replied. "You know what, I've changed my mind. I'm just going to go get a tarantula from the pet store tomorrow. He won't take up much room, and he'll still keep you out of bed."

"_Aria Rose!" _

Aria laughed, proud of herself for finally getting the upper hand in the conversation. Before she could say anything else though, the bedroom door opened and Adriana popped her head in.

"I made something that may very well put us in a sugar coma, but…want some?" She showed Aria the try in her hands. Aria's mouth began to water just at the sight of it.

"What all is in that gorgeous concoction?" Aria replied, forgetting she was still on the phone.

"Graham crackers, whipped cream, gummy worms, and topped off with kit kats." Adriana replied. "I saw something similar online and modified it a little. Its heaven in your mouth."

"_Does someone want to clue me into what in the world 'heaven in your mouth' is?" _Ezra asked.

Aria jumped, surprised by his voice. She giggled at herself. "Oops. Umm… What's it called?"

"Well their version was called kit kat lasagna…Call this one kit kat salad."

Aria laughed. "I want a piece."

Adriana grinned, setting the tray on the bed. "I'll be right back with a knife and some plates."

"And milk," Aria replied, watching her walk out of the room. Once she had, Aria reached over and broke off a piece of kit kat and bit into it. "I'm about to get really fat on all this sugar. Will you still love me?"

"_I guess," _Ezra laughed. _"Just don't tell Hardy I'm ordering cherry torte on his tab." _

"Yum," Aria drawled. "Bring some home to me."

"_Save me some of that…whatever it is," _Ezra replied with a chuckle.

"If it lasts that long," Aria giggled. "I'll just make you some so it isn't stale."

"_Even better. Oh, and that'll be my cherry torte. Love you, baby." _

Aria blushed. "I love you too. Don't gain more than five pounds on that torte."

Before Ezra could say anything else, she ended the call and settled the phone back on her nightstand. Adriana returned to the room a few moments later carrying a food tray with their glasses of milk and plates.

"We so going to regret this in about thirty minutes," Aria said as she watched Adriana slowly slip a knife into the sugar-loaded snack. The sound of graham cracker breaking filled the room as Adriana slowly cut through one. Once she had a 'slice' properly cut, she grabbed one of the forks and plates off the tray and pulled it out before handing it over to Aria.

Aria examined the snack for a moment, as if it had some ulterior motive she wasn't aware of. "If this makes me sick, it's your fault."

Adriana chuckled. "I'm not telling you to eat the whole tray."

Aria thought about it for a few moments before she finally decided to break of a piece and try it. It took her several moments to actually break through the various layers and her fingers were coated with whipped cream by the time she did, but the mixture of textures and flavours made for an interesting taste as she chewed on it. Nonetheless, she enjoyed it.

After a few minutes, Adriana settled her plate aside, picking apart the layers of hers in an attempt to stop making such a mess.

"Can I ask you something?" Adriana asked as she pulled a gummy worm out and popped it into her mouth.

Aria nodded, taking a large gulp of milk.

Adriana chewed her bite of food and swallowed before she spoke. "It's just… every time some brings up the idea of Ezra proposing to you, you get this…mood about you. It's like you're afraid of it. I'm scared that when he actually asks you, you'll say no."

"So you're wondering why I come across the way you think I do? Aria asked.

Adriana nodded.

Aria took another drink of her milk before setting it on the nightstand and breaking off a piece of kit kat from her snack. "It's not necessarily that I'm scared or that I would say no. Part of it is because I genuinely don't want to know until it happens. But I also want to know that I'm ready when the words come."

"Do you feel like you are?" Adriana asked.

Aria chewed on the inside of her bottom lip for a moment, considering the question. "I feel like I'm ready to say I could commit to a lifetime with Ezra. But I don't know if I'm ready just yet to put on a white dress and walk down the aisle and make it official. I'm really happy with where we are right now."

"So yes, but no," Adriana surmised.

Aria's brow furrowed slightly. "More like yes, but not quite yet. Either way, I'm sure I know what I will say when the words do come. Just don't plan on me being married in the same calendar year."

Adriana laughed. "I'm really glad that you feel that way. I'm not sure what I'd do if you and Ezra ever broke up."

"I don't think **Hardy **would know what to do if Ezra and I ever broke up," Aria giggled, referring to the brother-sister relationship they'd developed over the past year.

"I'm honestly happy that you two became friends," Adriana told her in a more serious tone. "I mean I know my family is a little crazy and I know how Ezra and I can get sometimes. We're not a big family, and it's good that you two can….I don't know, talk."

Aria chuckled at Adriana's struggle to string together the right words, even though she understood what she was trying to say.

"He's been pretty great," Aria replied. "Kinda like the older brother I never knew I didn't want," she joked.

Adriana laughed. Silence fell between them for a few more moments as they continued to eat their snacks. When it was gone, Adriana took their dishes to the kitchen along with what was left over before she returned to the bedroom.

"I can feel the sugar high coming already," Aria said as she picked up her phone from the nightstand. She habitually checked to make sure she didn't have any messages before returning her phone to the nightstand.

Adriana looked over at the TV from where she sat and then back at Aria. "I feel like its weird that I'm getting married in a week and I'm not the least bit panicked about it."

"Maybe you got it out of the way with that whole three month freak-out before," Aria replied.

"Maybe," Adriana replied. "I just don't want to be one of those brides who's standing at the back of the church and starts freaking out when the processional starts."

Aria chuckled. "If that happens, I solemnly promise to slap you and shove you down the aisle."

"Thanks," Adriana laughed. "Although I think there's something else we need to worry about."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

"I think my mom is dating again," Adriana said, shivering slightly.

Aria considered the comment for a moment. As she did, the realization of how young Serena still was surprised her slightly. She had never really given it much thought. "How do you think Ezra is going to take that?"

Adriana shook her head. "I have no idea."

_.,.  
>Where did she go, how did she go, I wanna know<br>__I wanna know that she'll be coming here to me  
>.,.<em>

Ezra knocked lightly on the door as he looked into the classroom. Even though the school day had ended several hours earlier, he wanted to be absolutely positive there was no chance of being interrupted.

"Mike I'll be-" Ella's voice cut off as she stepped out from her office. A small smile appeared on her face. "Ezra. What can I do for you?"

"Aria's not here, is she?" He asked.

Ella shook her head. "She said she had to work today. Why?"

Ezra wrung his hands together as he stood in the doorway of the classroom for several moments. "I um…Aria's birthday is coming up in about a month, and I…" He exhaled a heavy sigh. He'd had this conversation in his head many times in the past few months and none of them had included him stuttering his way through the sentence. He inhaled a deep breath. "I want to ask her to marry me."

Ella's eyebrows raised slightly. After a long, silent moment, she spoke. "What does that have to do with me?"

Ezra exhaled a small sigh of relief. "You and Aria have gotten close again since her emancipation, and I know that she wants things to continue on that way. I came to ask for your permission to ask your daughter to marry me."

Ella's posture relaxed slightly as she stared at him for another long moment. A smile tugged further across her face. "Tell me, if I said no, would that really stop you."

Ezra was unable to stop the grin that formed over his mouth.

Ella chuckled. "Honestly, Ezra, if it's what Aria wants and you are both genuinely happy, then there's nothing that I'd love to see happen more. Just…don't rush into it. I have no trouble believing that you two won't be anything like Byron and I, but I want Aria to be ready and sure when she gets married. Make sure she knows you're still going to be there even if it doesn't happen right away."

Ezra nodded.

"And Ezra, please be sure it's what you want too," she told him. "I wont' be afraid to set Byron on you if this ends badly."

Ezra nodded once more, too nervous by her comment to say anything. He knew that she was serious, and though he had no intention of letting his relationship with Aria ever end, there was no way of knowing for absolute sure that something wouldn't tear them apart somewhere down the line.

He left the high school shortly after and made his way across town to the mall. He knew Aria was supposed to be at work for another hour or so, but he figured he could read in the food court while she finished out her shift.

Upon arrival, he retrieved the current book he was reading from where he'd left it on the passenger seat when he'd left the apartment after getting back to town, and made his way into the building. He couldn't help but laugh at the fact that for being such a small town, the Rosewood Mall always seemed to have a full parking lot.

He waved to a few people – former and current students – as he made his way through the large complex. He arrived at the boutique a few moments later and quickly spotted Aria stocking new sweaters onto a rack in the middle of the store.

He made his way through the racks of clothing and past shoppers before coming to stand behind her. He gripped her hips with a feather light touch, almost tickling as he leaned down to murmur in her ear.

"Guess who?"

Aria jumped but then quickly spun in her spot. She grinned as she faced him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Hi," he chuckled as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.

"I'm so glad you're home," Aria said cheerfully. "Did I mention Adriana kicks?"

Ezra laughed. "Yeah, baby."

When she released him a few moments later, they quickly kissed before Aria returned – somewhat reluctantly – to her job of stocking the sweaters on the rack in front of her.

"How was your trip back?" She asked as she grabbed a handful of sweaters by their hangers and lifted them to hang up.

"A little bumpy," Ezra replied. "There were storms in the Carolinas. But it was fine otherwise. How was my sister all week?"

"Pleasant," Aria replied. "We actually had a lot of fun. I think she's excited for this next week."

Ezra nodded. "She called me last night and asked me if I'd walk her down the aisle."

Aria looked up at him and smiled. "That's so great, babe."

"I'm still not sure I believe that she's actually getting married. Doesn't feel real."

Aria chuckled. "Does it ever?"

"I guess not," Ezra replied after a moment of thought. He looked around the boutique and couldn't help but chuckle at the dozen or so women staring at him. He certainly stuck out like a sore thumb. "I'm going to go read in the food court. See you when you're done?"

Aria nodded, lifting her head up long enough to receive a quick peck on the lips from him before she turned her attention back to her work. As she continued stocking things onto the racks, she couldn't help but think about what would happen in the next few days. Sure, there would be the whole feat of Adriana and Hardy's wedding, but there was more to it than that. There would be the introduction of Hardy's youngest sister into their group, and she also knew that Serena had called Adriana the night before to tell her she'd be bringing a guest to the wedding. The option had been up in the air ever since Sebastian had been uninvited, but the fact that it was now official made Aria wonder how Ezra would take the news. If there was one thing she was absolutely sure about when it came to his feelings about family, it was his protective nature over his mother and sister.

Even more than that, she knew from what Adriana had shared with her that Serena had seldom dated since her divorce. Her focus had always been on her kids, and even after they had both headed off to college, she hadn't made any move towards finding a new relationship. The fact that those circumstances had recently changed made Aria believe that it probably had something to do with Sebastian.

She exhaled a sigh as she placed the last of the new sweaters from the current box next to her, on the rack. She knew there was no use in worrying over what would happen, because there was nothing she could do about it. Only time would tell what would happen.


	24. I've Been Loving You For Quite Some Time

**A/N: **Forgive me if you get spammed with alerts in the coming days. I'll be going through 40 and Say doing re-ups. Hopefully I'll have managed to get all the typos and editing mistakes! Also, forgive me if this chapter feels like it goes on forever. There's a lot of plot development happening that will build characters for Forget You (part 3 of the series).

And given all the extra characters in this chapter, I know that I try to explain visually what I see in my head, but for actual visuals:

Cooper - Robert Buckley

Tristan - Jesse Williams

Valerie - Rachel DiPillo

Brent - Jacob Young

Elena - Jana Kramer

Dixon - Justin Bruening

_Chapter 24_

_I've Been Loving You For Quite Some Time_

Aria inhaled and exhaled in long, deep breaths as she leaned back against her seat, hoping for the throbbing headache she was currently nursing to quickly dissipate. This was **not** how she had planned to start this long weekend.

"Something wrong?" Ezra asked softly as he looked over at her from the drivers seat.

Aria opened her eyes and looked over at him. "Hanna is upset with me. She didn't realize we were going to be gone until Sunday, and I'm missing her birthday."

Ezra nodded. "Is there any way you could make it back in time to do dinner with your friends or something?"

Aria shook her head as she turned her attention back to the road. "I tried to figure something out, but I can't. I promised to do something with her when we get back but she's upset that I'm missing the party. I guess Mona's throwing some huge bash for her. And normally it wouldn't even be on her actual birthday, but her mom is out of town on a business trip over night, so Mona nominated herself to plan a rager."

"Which probably means alcohol," Ezra replied warily.

Aria nodded. "I know Hanna's smart enough to not do anything like that, but it's like she's upset with me because I'm missing out on some rite of passage."

"Do **you** feel like you're missing out on something important?" Ezra asked.

Aria laughed haughtily. "I feel like I'm dodging a bullet that's probably coated in trouble."

Ezra nodded again. "I hope I've never made you feel like you have to miss out on those things."

Aria raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you mean?"

Ezra glanced over at her once more. "I mean that I don't think I've seen you attend any actual high school parties this year."

"That's because there haven't been any good ones," Aria chuckled. "Or I was working when they were being thrown. And then there's the whole issue of not wanting to get in trouble with the cops. I don't think a judge would look at me very happily if I got myself arrested just because my friends want to drink beer because finals are over."

"I guess," Ezra agreed. "Is your head feeling any better?"

Aria nodded. "A bit. I do have one question though."

"What's that?" Ezra asked.

"How well do you know these girls I'm going to be hanging out with this weekend?" Aria questioned.

Ezra inhaled a deep breath, moving into the next lane as they coasted down the interstate. "Danyelle was her best friend in high school. She's nice from what I remember of her. After she stopped partying though, she became super serious. Hopefully she won't be super uptight this weekend though. Valerie-"

"Seriously, how many people does your family know with that name?" Aria interjected.

Ezra laughed. "Just two. Apparently it was a popular name."

"Anyway," Aria murmured, blushing slightly as she grinned at him.

Ezra chuckled. "_Anyway, _Valerie is Hardy's youngest sister. She's fifteen, and I've only met her a handful of times, but she's always been nice when I've been around her. I know she's always kind of had to fend for herself, which has made her kind of tough to be around at times."

"How do you mean?"

Ezra shrugged. "Well when someone has to do for themselves that much at that age, it's rough, y'know? They develop an edge, and sometimes they forget that there are still adults who know better than them."

Aria nodded.

"Anyway, as far as the guys, there's Cooper, who is Hardy's older brother. He's got like five siblings, but Cooper is the only one I've ever met besides Val. There's five years between them. He's married and lives in Brooklyn. And then there's Tristan. He was one of the many people we ran into on new years."

"That was so informative," Aria teased.

Ezra rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head. "You'll meet them all soon enough. And then I'm sure you'll be begging me we were back in Rosewood."

_.,.  
>though the truth may vary this ship will<br>__carry our bodies safe to shore  
>.,.<em>

Upon arrival in New York, there wasn't a single moment wasted. Aria met up with Adriana and Valerie at the hotel they were staying in while Ezra headed over to Hardy's parents to meet up with him. Any hope she had of taking a nap was quickly squashed when she entered the hotel room she'd be sharing with the four other girls for the next two nights.

"Aria!" Adriana squealed happily as Aria closed the door behind her. "What took you so long?"

"I got hungry," Aria replied. "I made Ezra get us some food before we left Rosewood."

"Come join us," Adriana said, waving her arm for Aria. "Meet Hardy's sister."

Aria pushed the handle down on her suitcase and walked over to the queen sized bed nearest to the window. She hopped up onto it and grabbed one of the french fries lying in the open to-go tray in front of Adriana. She finally saw Valerie fully as she did so. The girl couldn't have been more than five feet tall, she was also petite. She had big brown eyes and tight curls that Aria could easily tell were natural. Aria extended a hand to her.

"I'm Aria. I hear you're joining our little fold soon," she said.

Valerie giggled as she shook Aria's hand, obviously surprised by the formality of it. "I'm counting the days until Hardy and Addy move back. My name's **technically **Valerie, but everyone calls me Val."

Aria nodded. "My parents wanted to call me pookiebear for the rest of my life, but I just couldn't stand for that."

Valerie and Adriana both laughed, and Aria smiled, glad she was able to break the ice. After a few moments, she looked over at Adriana.

"Where's the other one? Danyelle?"

Adriana sighed. "She had a death in the family, so she's going to try and make it to the wedding, but she won't be with us this weekend. It sucks, but...y'know."

Aria and Val both nodded.

"Anyway!" Adriana said, once again happy and cheerful. "I feel like there should be more to do for three girls in New York under 21."

Aria and Val laughed.

"I'm looking at apartments in Manhattan tomorrow if it's any consolation," Aria replied. "It's the most boring thing we're doing during this trip."

"You guys should look at the apartments where Hardy and I are moving into," Adriana insisted. "It's right by Times Square and they've got all different sizes. They're super cute too."

"For how much a month?" Aria asked warily.

Adriana shrugged. "The place we're getting is a 4 bedroom. I think it's like 4 thousand a month."

Aria's eyes widened at Adriana. "I'm going to college **without** a trust fund."

Adriana giggled. "I didn't say **you** had to get a four bedroom. We're getting that one so that Val has her own room and then a guest room and an office," she explained. "God I feel so old saying I'm getting an apartment with an office."

Aria and Val laughed at her once more.

The afternoon progressed easily as Aria and Valerie got to know each other better. Aria found that she quite liked the girl – she was nice and she seemed to have similar interests as Aria and Adriana. She was quieter than Aria expected, but there was also a clear hunger for attention that could be seen in her eyes – as if, if it suddenly stopped, she'd be heartbroken.

A while after the sun had set, the boys returned to the hotel, and Aria and Adriana both received phone calls to meet them in the lobby, ready to head out into the spring evening. The three girls each donned light jackets and boots before making their way out of the hotel room and down to the lobby.

All three girls searched through the myriad of people passing in and out of the lobby as they stepped out of the elevator, but it was Valerie who first spotted the boys. Aria and Adriana only realized that she had when she tore off through a crowd of people and all but threw herself at Cooper and Hardy. Both men chuckled as they hugged her.

"Am I crazy for being surprised that she's so excited to see Cooper?" Aria asked Adriana as they continued to make their way over to the boys.

Adriana shrugged, tucking her hands deep in her sweater pockets. "I don't think any of their siblings have an issue with each other necessarily. It's their parents that are the problem. And since she still lives at home, it's rough."

Aria nodded. They finally reached the boys, and both girls hugged their boyfriends before Hardy turned to his groomsmen.

"Addy and Val both know all these guys already. Aria, this is my brother Cooper," Hardy said, pointing to the man standing next to him. He had the same sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes, though his features were less angular and more baby-faced. Aria shook his hand before her attention turned to the little boy standing next to him.

"And this is my son Bennett," Cooper added, resting his hand in the center of the boy's back. He was only three or four at most, with auburn hair. His eyes were the same blue as his father's though.

"He's the ring-bearer," Hardy explained."And I think you might've met Tristan in passing on New Years."

Aria looked up at the man Hardy was referring to. His olive skin and blue eyes vaguely registered in her memory, but that night had been so complicated that she had trouble recalling exactly when they had met. Nonetheless, she shook his hand. "Nice to see you again."

"Now that introductions are over, can we please go get food," Adriana said as she bounced on her heels.

The others chuckled at her as they began making their way out of the hotel. When they were out on the sidewalk, conversation shifted. Hardy, Adriana, and Valerie walked in front with Ezra, and Aria behind them. Cooper, Bennett and Tristan followed after them.

"So Hardy, Cooper, Val...how many siblings do yall have?" Aria asked as they reached the end of the block and turned to head down the adjacent one.

"Well there's the three of us, and then Brent, who's oldest. He's 34 and lives in Europe," Hardy explained. "He's richer than my parents ever thought of being."

"Then Elena," Cooper added. "She's thirty two. Married with four kids. She lives in LA."

"And then there's Dixon," Valerie said. "He joined the marines at 18 and never came back to the states. Isn't he in South Africa now?"

"I think so," Cooper replied.

"Anyway, the first four were born within five years of each other," Hardy explained. "My parents didn't think they could have me, and Val wasn't planned for at all. There's almost six years between Coop and me and six and a half between me and Val."

"Our parents really didn't know the meaning of birth control," Cooper said unabashedly.

Aria laughed, shaking her head as she looked over her shoulder at him briefly.

"Are any of them attending the wedding?" Ezra asked.

"Brent is flying in late tomorrow night," Hardy answered. "As long as he doesn't oversleep or get squashed by the time difference, he's supposed to be at the wedding. Elena was **going **to come, but she's got twins who both caught the chicken pox this week, so she's home with them. I told Dixon about the wedding about three months ago, but I have no idea if he'll show up. Something tells me that they're all just chickening out because they don't want to see our parents, though."

"Are they really that bad?" Aria asked. "Around you guys, I mean."

Hardy turned in his spot, walking backwards as he looked at Aria. "Let me put it this way: my mother loves her committees more than she ever loved any of us. And our dad couldn't give a damn if I went to Hollis or to Yale. Unless our parents somehow were able to benefit directly from something we did growing up, they didn't give a damn. That's why we're getting Val out."

Aria nodded. "Sounds a lot like my friend Spencer's parents."

"They are," Ezra and Adriana confirmed simultaneously.

"Believe me, if I had been able to, I'd have gotten them out of there when I was first married," Cooper said. "They know that."

Aria looked back at him. "Why couldn't you?"

"I was drowning in student loans from med school," he replied. "And then Kelly, my wife, got pregnant. We've just gotten onto level ground this year. Hardy, Val, and I all sat down after new years and we talked about the issues with our parents and all of it, and then we asked her what she wanted to do. Since they're moving to Manhattan and she wants to stay in her school, she's gonna live with them."

"Does it ever bother you guys that the other three don't – er, aren't around?" Aria asked.

"I barely know Brent and Dixon," Valerie said. "And Elena's more like an aunt than she is a sister. She's great and all, but she lives three thousand miles away. It's hard to keep a relationship going from that far away."

"It bothers Hardy and I," Cooper added. "I think it's bullshit that the same people I shared my bedroom with until I was seven, no longer give a damn to call or write anymore. I mean I hear from Elena once or twice every couple of months, but she's got her life in LA. Brent will drop a postcard in the mail every quarter or so, but he almost never calls. I think we get the occasional e-mail with new pictures of his kids, but that's about it. And Dixon...no one really hears from him. I think he always felt like he got lost in the shuffle. He was the quiet kid in the family for sure, and he never did anything notable growing up, so my parents pretty much brushed him under the rug. I think at that point he just figured if he was getting out, he was staying out."

They reached the pizzeria they were getting dinner from a few moments after Cooper had finished talking, and the subject was dropped as they walked in. They were led back to a large table. They promptly ordered four pizzas with various toppings and their own drinks before conversation began again.

"So then are your parents invited to the wedding?" Aria asked, looking over at Hardy.

He rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Formality. I don't much expect them to stick around. Most of the people invited are friends of ours, so they don't really have anything to benefit from by being there. Serena knows how they are. She's met them."

"She doesn't think very highly of them," Ezra said. "She's made some unsavory comments about them in the past."

Aria chuckled. "I'm trying to imagine her ever saying anything bad about anyone."

"It's very rare," Ezra commented.

"Alright subject change," Adriana finally said, leaning over the table. "We're here for a wedding. We're going to talk cheerful stuff. Coop, what was your wedding song?"

"You mean the song we first danced to?" He asked. "Words I Couldn't Say."

Aria's brow furrowed. "Isn't that a break-up song?"

Cooper chuckled and nodded. "It was the song playing when we first met. I was meeting someone for an internship in Nashville, and someone was singing that song at a bar I stopped at. I hate flying so I figured I'd have a drink before I headed out. I ended up missing my flight, but I met her. I took the song as a hint to never not say what I felt when it came to her. It's been our thing ever since."

"That's really cute," Adriana replied.

"What's yours supposed to be?" Cooper asked.

"Stay With Me by Josh Gracin," Adriana said. "It took me weeks to narrow down to that one."

Conversation continued easily as the group waited for, and then ate their dinner. There was an unspoken sense of being surrounded by family, even though most of them weren't actually related to each other.

It was sometime after her third slice of pizza as Aria was listening to Hardy and Cooper tell a story about how they spent their 10th and 16th summers in matching casts that she started to realize that these were likely the people she'd be surrounding herself post-graduation. Granted, Spencer wouldn't be **that **far away, since she was planning to go to Princeton. But Hanna had settled on a college in LA, and Emily was very likely going to school somewhere in the Midwest on a scholarship. All too quickly, the bubble she'd lived in for her entire life was starting to disintegrate and rebuild itself at the same time. She couldn't help but feel like things were headed in the right direction.

_.,.  
><em>_shoot me down, but I won't fall  
><em>_I am titaninum  
><em>_.,._

Friday passed quickly, and Aria was silently grateful for the long weekend as she returned to the hotel that night. She knew that the four day weekend was technically supposed to be a short spring break, but she couldn't help being happy that she wouldn't have to return to school first thing Monday morning after what was shaping up to be a busy weekend.

She and Ezra spent the better half of four hours looking at nearly a dozen places in Manhattan. She had quickly come to the conclusion that apartment hunting was one of the most boring things to do, as well as stressful. She wasn't at all sure about any of the options, but her focus was quickly shifted when they had to attend the rehearsal for the wedding, and then dinner. She desperately just wanted to go to sleep after returning to the hotel, but she remembered the promise of a makeshift bachelorette party, and plans quickly shifted.

Aria stared at the following day's calendar on her phone, exhausted just at the sight of it. They were due at the salon at 8 AM for hair, makeup, and mani/pedi's. Afterward, they'd be headed over to the church, during which Aria also had to find time to pick up subs for them to eat for lunch. The wedding wasn't set to start until 2, but they still had to be there early for photos, and to have time to get ready.

After the wedding, they'd be taking photos while the guests headed to 21 Club for cocktail hour and the reception. The reception was slated to run until midnight, but Aria had her fingers crossed that it wouldn't actually last that long.

Of what little she knew about boarding arrangments, Valerie was supposed to go home with Cooper after the wedding, and then Serena was in charge of making sure Ezra and Adriana's luggage got switched into each others rooms. Aria had her fingers crossed that they would be back to the hotel by no later than 10 PM.

Adriana entered the room carrying a bag filled with what looked like various kinds of junk food in one hand, and a bag of Chinese food in the other, breaking Aria's attention from her phone.

"Stressing about tomorrow?" Adriana asked.

"Am I that transparent?"

Adriana shook her head settling the bags in the middle of the bed before hopping up onto it. "No. I'm stressed about it too. I'm worried about people making it to the church on time, and I know that there's a chance it could rain. I don't want anyone to not be able to make it."

"Do I smell Chinese?"

Aria and Adriana both giggled as they looked over at Valerie, who'd been napping on the other bed. Both girls had refused to sleep with Adriana, having the knowledge that she kicked in her sleep.

"I figured we could stuff our faces while we rack up pay-per-view charges," Adriana said. "Not that we can stay up late as it is."

Valerie got up off the bed she was on and walked over to the other bed before getting up onto it and sitting in the middle, behind the bags of food. "I could seriously go for some chow mein."

"I got some," Adriana said.

"Hey, did you ever tell Ezra about your mom bringing a date for tomorrow?" Aria asked.

Adriana blushed and a grin tugged at her lips. "No."

Aria gaped at her. "Dre!"

"Dre?" Valerie questioned.

"It's Eza's nickname for me," Adriana explained quickly. "He couldn't pronounce my whole name when I was first born, so he called me Dre. It stuck." She looked back at Aria. "Low blow."

Aria narrowed her eyes playfully at Adriana. "Right, because Ezra's not going to do the same thing when he finds out. He's going to lose his mind."

"Then let him," Adriana replied simply. "There's nothing I can do about our mother wanting to see if there's still a fish in the sea for her. Why shouldn't she? It's not like she's an ancient relic. She's not even fifty. Hell, she's barely forty-five."

"Geeze, you make my parents sound like they belong in tombs," Valerie chuckled.

Adriana looked over at her curiously, though Aria was sure it was only to deflect getting scolded. "How old are they?"

"Dad is 62 and mom is 58." She replied.

Aria chuckled, blushing.

"What's so funny?" Adriana said, looking back at her.

"My parents are barely 40." Aria explained. "My mom got pregnant with me when she was 22."

"Okay so you're a young breed," Adriana said, sticking her tongue out at Aria. "Rub it in much."

Aria chuckled. Shortly thereafter, the three girls divided up the Chinese food and then settled in to watch a movie. After nearly half an hour of arguing over The Hunger Games or What To Expect When You're Expecting, Aria snatched the remote from Valerie and Adriana and chose The Amazing Spiderman. They were against it for the first five minutes, but after real time picked up and Andrew Garfield graced the screen, their whining ceased.

By the time the movie had ended, Valerie was passed out on the spot next to her and Adriana was rubbing her eyes wearily.

"I think we should go to bed," Aria said as the credits ended and the menu returned to the movie options.

Adriana sighed, looking up from her phone. "I don't want to go to sleep. It's my last night as a single woman."

Aria chuckled. "I hope you're feeling that way in a good sense. Like you're relishing in it."

Adriana nodded. "I'm not panicking. I'm just thinking about everything. A lot is about to change."

"But you realize everything is going to be okay, right?" Aria asked.

Adriana nodded again. "You know when we were kids, every time there was a major event that meant there was going to be some kind of new beginning – y'know, like school years – Ezra and I would do this thing where we would sit up and talk about everything that had happened the year before and what we wanted from the next."

"Okay. So what happened last year that you don't want to have happen again?" Aria asked.

"Well I don't really want to freak out and run away again, or panic that I'm making the wrong choice. I don't want to hurt the people I love most by being pigheaded. I guess I just want to be more level-headed and patient. I want to stay on steady ground."

Aria smiled. "Those sound like really great goals."

_.,.  
><em>_tonight before you fall asleep, I run my thumb across your cheek  
><em>_cry, cause I__'__m here to wipe your eyes  
><em>_.,._

Ezra huffed as his shoes slapped against the ground. Seven AM was too early to be looking all over town for his sister. He'd been asleep only thirty minutes earlier when Aria had called him in a panic. Adriana was nowhere to be found, and she hadn't left a note saying where she was headed, nor had she left her phone on.

It hadn't actually taken him long to figure out where she was. As soon as he'd thought about the possibilities of where she might run to and what Aria had told him, he knew she was at the Hudson River. She'd taken off more than once when they were kids to go down there when she felt like she needed time for herself to collect her thoughts.

"Do you know how early in the morning it is?" He as as he walked towards her. He shivered, gripping two cups of warm coffee in his hands. It wasn't supposed to be cold all day, but the sun was just coming up and it was just barely over forty degrees.

Adriana looked over at him as her hands seemed to burrow further into the pockets of her sweater. "Sorry." She pulled her right hand out of her pocket and looked down at her phone, clutched tightly in her hand. "No service."

Ezra reached her and handed over one of the coffees. "Why are you down here? Aria said you were doing fine when you guys went to bed last night."

"I am," she confirmed. "I just...I want to go into today with a clear head about everything, and I can't stop thinking about Dad."

Ezra sighed, running his now free hand through his hair. He needed to get back to the hotel and shower so he could get his hair into some sense of order. "What exactly about him?"

"I feel like this was supposed to be so different," Adriana replied. "With him here, and with all of us together."

"Dre-"

Adriana quickly cut him off, looking up at him. "I'm not living in a fantasy world, Ezra. I'm not magically hoping he'll show up, and I don't actually want him there. I just wish he could have been different for us. I wish he would've cared enough to make an effort."

"Listen to me, Dre, because I'm only gonna say this once," Ezra said. "The choices Sebastian made were entirely on him. He's the one who chose to leave his family and hurt the people he should have loved most. And wishing is a lot like worrying. It's not going to get you anywhere. I know you might not be getting a parent of any kind marrying Hardy either, but you're getting some pretty great brothers and a sister. So don't spend your time dwelling on the people who choose not to be a part of your life. It's not you. It's them."

Adriana inhaled a heavy breath and then looked over at him. She forced a smile onto her face. "Thanks, Ezra."

He nodded. "Now can I please get you to the salon so that you don't delay your entire wedding?"

Adriana chuckled but nodded.

The two of them headed back to Ezra's jeep, and he drove her to the salon where the three girls were supposed to be getting made up before the wedding. He barely had time to peck Aria on the lips before he rushed off to get coffee and breakfast for himself, Hardy, Cooper, Bennett, and Brent.

He arrived back at the hotel just after 8 in time to see Hardy talking with Cooper in the hotel room that he had shared with his best friend for the night.

"Where'd you disappear off to this morning?" Hardy asked as he took the tray of coffees.

"My sister was feeling nostalgic about our father. Don't worry, she's still going to show up at the church."

Hardy stared at him warily for several moments, but then nodded.

"Where's the kid?" Ezra asked as he settled two bags filled with food onto the table between himself and the brothers.

"He's next door sleeping. Brent said he'd bring him in when he woke up. He's got business calls to make right now." Cooper explained.

"It's 8 AM," Ezra replied.

Hardy chuckled. "And in England, it's 2 PM. I told him if he wasn't done making phone calls by noon, he wasn't allowed in the church."

"That's certainly a way of making sure he's off," Ezra laughed.

"Or of making sure he doesn't attend the wedding at all," Cooper said. "That man is more attached to his phone than you might believe."

The morning progressed easily. Ezra received the occasional text message from Aria alerting him that Adriana was still in fact with her and that she hadn't taken off again. The guys didn't decide to head to the church until noon, each dressed in their suits. Hardy's was slightly different than theirs. Both he and Ezra wore waistcoats, though Hardy's was silver while Ezra's was a dark grey.

Guests slowly trickled in after their arrival, though Ezra spent most of his time talking with family friends or whoever Hardy was introducing him to at the current moment. Half an hour before the wedding was set to start, he was standing three feet away from Hardy and Cooper, talking to one of his cousins when he very clearly heard Hardy say 'holy shit.'

Interests piqued, Ezra turned around and looked at his best friend before looking back towards the entrance, where Hardy's gaze was fixed. His gaze fell upon a man that he quickly realized must've been Dixon. He had the same features as Cooper, Hardy, and Brent, and an unmistakable military hair cut.

"Coop, am I seeing things?" Hardy murmured.

Ezra couldn't see them, but Cooper's head shook slowly.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's him." Cooper replied.

"Goddamn, he looks like dad."

Ezra, Cooper, and Hardy were mildly startled by the sound of Brent's voice from where he stood at the end of the pew next to them.

Dixon approached all of them a moment later. His hands were firmly planted in the pockets of his dress pants. Both he and Brent were dressed similar in black dress pants, though the eldest brother wore a dark blue dress shirt and jacket, while Dixon wore a black dress shirt.

"Damn guys, don't look like a ghost has just dropped in front of you," he commented as a smile graced his face.

It took a few moments, but his three brothers smiled back at him and greeted him happily.

"We didn't think you'd show," Hardy said.

Dixon nodded, looking around amongst the guests on Hardy's side. "I wasn't sure I would either. I had to make sure I could get stateside, and I didn't want to make any promises. I didn't even know I was flying in until yesterday, about an hour before I got on the plane."

"How long are you in town?" Cooper asked.

Dixon shrugged. "There's a few options open, so I don't know yet. We can talk about it later though. Introduce me to people."

Hardy chuckled. "Well you know your siblings." He gestured an arm towards Ezra. "This is my best man and brother-in-law in about thirty minutes, Ezra Fitz."

Dixon turned towards him for the first time and extended a hand towards him. "Really great to meet you, man. I've heard a few things over the years – all good."

Ezra nodded, shaking the other man's hand. "Nice to meet you too, finally."

"And then this is Tristan. I don't know if you'll remember him," Hardy said as Tristan walked up from where he'd been flirting with one of Adriana's friends.

Dixon nodded, extending a hand once more, this time to the other groomsman. "Isn't this the kid you got arrested with for ditching school?"

Hardy rolled his eyes. "We were going to see an expo that was only in town for three days. But yes."

Ezra's gaze drifted around the room as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to turn it off for the ceremony. He had yet to see his mother, and he didn't even know if she was in the building yet.

He stepped away from the boys and walked down the aisle to the front row where one of his aunts was sitting holding her grand daughter. "Aunt June, have you seen mom," he asked as he leaned over to talk to her.

The elder woman shook her head. "Not at all today, kiddo. She called me about an hour ago and said she was headed over here. She might be somewhere else in the church with your sister, though."

Ezra nodded, thanking her before heading off in the direction of one of the wings that would lead him to where his sister was supposed to be getting ready.

He reached the room a few moments later and knocked lightly on the door.

"Who is it?" He heard Aria's voice call through the other side.

"Me," Ezra replied. "Is my mother in there?"

"She just left to go get into her seat," Aria's voice replied. A moment later, the door opened and she smiled at him. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied, smiling back at her, His gaze quickly fell, taking in her outfit. Her dress was black, with a silver sash wrapped around the waist. She wore three inch silver open-toed heels, and her hair was pinned up into a bun with tendrils framing her face.

"Is everything set out there?" Adriana asked asked as she reached a hand under her dress to adjust one of her heels.

"Yes," Ezra said. "The last guests were getting seated when I came back here."

Adriana's phone began to beep incessantly on the table, a ten minute warning to 2 PM.

"Where's Danyelle?" Ezra asked as he peered around the room. He'd passed Valerie on his way in and knew that she had ducked into the bathroom.

"Getting changed," Adriana replied as she stood up. "She just got here thirty minutes ago."

Ezra nodded. "Are we set to go then?"

"We should be," Adriana replied. A moment later, Valerie reentered the room, and was quickly followed by Danyelle. Ezra turned as they slipped past them, waving to the older girl.

"Hey Ezra," she murmured softly. "Great to see you guys this weekend."

He nodded. "You and your family doing okay?"

She shrugged, adjusting one of her earrings. "As well as could be expected."

All too soon, Adriana's phone was skittering across the table once more, this time even more incessantly. She turned the alarm off again and then turned her phone off completely before all of the girls made their way over to the door and headed out off the room.

They walked silently through the building as they made their way to the back of the church. As the finally arrived, the girls got into proper order – Danyelle, Valerie, Aria, and then Adriana – and then waited in silence for the music to start.

It began to play a few moments later, and Ezra looked down at Adriana as Danyelle began making her way down the aisle.

"What is this song?" He whispered.

"It's called It's Your Day," Adriana replied softly.

The processional continued, and Ezra hooked his arm through Adriana's as Aria finally stepped away from them a few moments later. He looked down as something jangled against her wrist, bumping his arm. His brow furrowed slightly, looking down at it.

"New bracelet?" He asked.

Adriana looked down at it and smiled, looking back up at him. "Yeah. Aria gave it to me this morning."

They began to proceed down the aisle finally, and the church was dead silent as they made their way slowly down the center of the building. Upon reaching the front of the building, he and Hardy exchanged a look that he'd never given the other man, but clearly conveyed a mouthful of words that Hardy silently understood – that this was for real and if he screwed it up, Ezra would kill him.

_.,.  
><em>_come feel my heart, its beating like a drum  
><em>_and I confess when you're around  
><em>_.,._

"Can we please get cheeseburgers delivered?" Aria asked as she sunk down into a chair next to Adriana. They had just arrived at the 21 Club a few minutes earlier, and both girls had been aching to get their feet out of the heels they were wearing.

"I'm beginning to wonder the same thing," Adriana replied. "I wonder if the restaurant would make us some. The caterers won't even be here for another hour."

Aria's brow furrowed as she watched Adriana shift in her seat. "Are you having trouble?"

"Yes," Adriana huffed. "I can't get my shoes off in this chair."

Aria chuckled. "Come over this way and I'll do it. I can't believe you got 300 dollar shoes that people are only going to see now that they aren't on your feet."

Adriana shrugged. "I wanted the shoes. Also, have you noticed that my brother still hasn't figured out that our mother has a date?"

Aria nodded, struggling to hide her laughter. "Although to be fair, every time I've seen Ezra get near Serena, she's conveniently parted from her date."

"That's not convenience," Adriana replied. "She's trying to keep my brother from murder charges."

"Why would I murder anyone?"

Aria and Adriana looked up, and any excuse either one of them might've had to have thought up was quickly dropped at the sight of a plate with two burgers on it in his hand.

"You got us food," Adriana drawled as she snatched the plate out of his hands and placed it on the bar between she and Aria. No mind was paid to their dresses as they unwrapped their burgers and began to eat.

Ezra's brow furrowed. "Didn't you two just eat before the wedding?"

"We ate four hours ago," Adriana replied with a mouthful of burger. "We're starving."

Ezra nodded, looking around the room. "Where's your mini-me?"

"Hanging out with her brothers. She's pretty excited about actually getting to see Dixon and getting to know him," Adriana explained. She winced as Aria suddenly kicked her in the leg. She glared at the younger girl, only for Aria to glare back at her.

"What's going on between you two?" Ezra asked as he took Aria's burger from her hands and then took a bite out of it.

"Adriana needs to tell you something," Aria said as she moved off her stool. She took her burger back from Ezra. "I'm going to go find someone in your family that I haven't met and introduce myself."

Ezra raised an eyebrow of suspicion at his girlfriend, but she walked away before he could say anything, so he turned his attention back to his sister. "What's up?"

Adriana chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "Mom is dating someone. She brought a date to the wedding."

"No she's not," Ezra replied.

"**Yes**," Adriana disagreed. "She is. You just haven't seen him because she's never next to him when you've talked to her today." She pointed through the crowd of people to where Serena was standing. "Look. She's with him right now."

Ezra sighed and rolled his eyes, obviously still not believing her. He turned in his spot and glanced over his shoulder, looking away as if he hadn't actually seen anything, but then turned back and did a double-take. Sure enough, there was a man standing next to Serena. His arm was looped around her and she seemed to be laughing while talking to one of her sisters.

"Who the-"

Adriana gripped Ezra's arm and held him to his spot, making him look back at her. "Just leave it alone, Ezra. She's happy today. We don't even know if it's serious – and **I'm sure if it **_**was, **_she'd tell us. There's nothing for you to protect right now, so just leave it be."

"Addy-"

"No, Ezra," she replied. "Mom is fine, Ezra. She looks happy. And I'm happy. Don't start something here. Please."

Ezra stared at her for several long moments, clearly frustrated. Even so, logic was on Adriana's side, because he knew that if anyone was going to start a fight at this wedding, it wasn't going to be him. They were already facing the risk of Hardy's parents getting into it as it was.

The next hour passed swiftly, and soon enough dinner was being brought in for them to eat. They all took their respective seats at the front table, and chatter moved easily around them as everyone ate. When most of the room had finished their meal, Adriana stood and grabbed microphone that was placed by their table for speeches.

"Hello family and friends," she said as she looked around the room. "We wanted to thank all of you for joining us on this occasion. Some of you flew from other countries, and we know at this time of year and on such short notice, it's hard to actually get here, but it means a lot to us. That said, I'll pass this off to my brother."

Ezra stood and took the microphone from Adriana. "If this sucks, blame my editor," he teased, looking over at Aria. "I um, I don't know if today is harder for my mom or for me. My sister is the closest girl in my life, and she has been since the day she was born, but Hardy has been my friend since the day we met in the dorms. To be entirely honest, I was not supportive of this union when I first heard of it. I'm pretty sure I had planned to kill the both of them for hooking up behind my back. But in the time that has passed since I found out, just about a year ago, I haven't been able to imagine a single person I've ever seen either one of these two people with that were better-fitting for them. That said..." he looked over at Hardy and Adriana. "I'm glad we're officially **legally **related, Hardy. But if either one of you breaks the other's heart and this ends in divorce, I will kill the other one."

Laughter erupted throughout the room at his comment as he handed off the microphone to Aria. She stood up and inhaled a deep breath. "I really don't edit that badly."

Laughter filled the room once more, and she smiled, feeling a bit more relaxed.

"To be entirely honest, I don't know that I expected this position when these two got engaged. The greatest thing I've gained by being accepted by this little family is the older brother and sister I'm not sure I ever asked for. I don't think there's anyone that I know who can match how frustratingly in love with each other these two are. Sometimes I think they're absolutely crazy, and others I think they're just crazy for each other. I don't think there's much I can say about them that you all won't already know or agree with, but I do know I couldn't have asked for two better friends if I tried. So thanks for being my friends you guys. And thanks for making me feel like I fit in this bubble."

Shortly after Aria finished her speech, they all moved to the other side of the room so tables could be picked up and moved out of the way. Aria joined Ezra as he finally approached his mother and her date.

"Dre says you're keeping a secret from me," Ezra said as he wrapped his arms around Serena, having not actually been around her yet. He had only talked to and seen her in passing the entire day.

Serena's brow furrowed as she looked up at him. "What dear?"

"You brought a date?" Ezra asked. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

Serena nodded, realizing what he was talking about. She smiled at him. "Darling, I'm not keeping anything from either you _**or **_ your sister. He's just a friend."

"But you've never brought a date to **anything**," Ezra replied. "Are you dating again, mom?"

Serena shrugged. "I'm testing the waters. That's all. There's nothing you need to worry about."

Ezra stared at her for a long moment, clearly unconvinced, but he wasn't going to argue with her. He'd promised Adriana that he would be good.

The evening progressed in a happy fashion as people continued to commiserate. Not unexpectedly, Hardy had his parents removed from the reception shortly after the cake was cut when they started drunkenly arguing. The party continued on for hours after, and when Adriana tossed the bouquet, Aria caught it. Though Adriana swore she hadn't planned it that way, Aria was sure that she had made her aim specific.

Things were finally starting to die down when Aria and Ezra joined Adriana, Hardy, and his siblings at the bar. The girls all held glasses of soda while Ezra and Hardy had beers. Hardy's brothers each had different kinds of wine in their own glasses.

"So a toast," Hardy said as he extended his glass into their circle of friends. Everyone else raised a glass as well and in her peripheral vision, Aria caught the flash of a camera.

"What are we toasting to?" Brent asked. Aria could see the exhaustion in his face – it was nearly 4 AM in England. Even so, she could see that he wasn't interesting in leaving quite yet.

"To family," Hardy replied. "This day has been absolutely amazing, you guys. And I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to spend it with. I only wish Elena could've been here too." They all clinked glasses and then drank.

"Why didn't she show up anyway?" Dixon asked.

"Kids got the chicken pox," Brent answered, rubbing his eyes.

"On the subject of family, what were you talking about today at the church?" Cooper asked. "Options?"

Dixon nodded. "One of the reasons I didn't know if I was flying in was because there's only a few weeks left on my current enlistment. I was approached by a few superiors about possible promotions and what they would entail. I was also approached by a guy who needs someone to run his security department when his business goes public in a few months." He paused for a moment, staring down into his glass. "I've stayed away from New York after I joined up because it seemed like no one in this family gave a damn. But after everything I've seen and after today, I'm well aware that it's our parents who did that." He looked over at Cooper and Hardy. "I've seen how you guys are today, and I've wanted that since we were kids. And I'm realizing I'm not going to find it halfway across the world. So if you guys are okay with more than three Danielson men living in the states at a time... I want to accept the offer."

"I think that's great Dix," Hardy replied. "It's fine by me."

"New York crime rate is ridiculous, so I'm good too," Cooper added.

Dixon nodded, he looked over at Valerie. "You okay with another brother?"

She stared at him for several long moments, clearly contemplating. "I guess."

"Great," he replied happily.

If for no other reason than instinctual need, the four siblings looked to their eldest brother. He took a long drink from his glass. "I think what you guys are doing is all great and fine, but my whole life is in Europe. My kids are happy and so am I. I'm good there."


	25. When I Fall Asleep I Feel You With Me

**A/N: **I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED RECENTLY! I so wanted to sooner, but the keyboard on my laptop has quit, leaving me to use an external keyboard. It isn't so bad at home, but taking both my laptop and the keyboard to the library would be too much to carry, and there's been a lot of family time lately, so I just haven't had the chance to get online to update. THE UPSIDE: I have two chapters for you this weekend! :D

Also, to **HarrylovesGinny09**, I'm so sorry I couldn't update on your birthday! I really wanted to, but my sister had been in town and my sleep schedule was all screwed up :(. I hope these chapters make up for it though!

_Chapter 25_

_When I Fall Asleep I Feel You With Me_

Aria yawned as she stared out the window of her and Ezra's apartment, into the small backyard area. She was desperately hoping that wherever they lived when they moved to New York would have a window seat like her old bedroom and his old apartment had each had. There simply wasn't anything exciting about staring out the window to think if she had to stand to do it.

"Reinventing the wheel?"

Aria looked over her shoulder at Ezra and smiled. "No. Trying to figure out how they make the chocolate coating to M&M's."

Ezra chuckled before turning his attention back to his laptop. He was still diligently working on the story that he'd started well over a month ago, and still had yet to show her even a single sentence. Aria was beginning to wonder if the work he claimed to be doing was just a blank page, like that episode of the Golden Girls with Blanche and her notebooks.

"A watched pot never boils, babe," he said as his fingers moved across the keyboard.

Aria looked back at him once more. "Hmm?"

Ezra exhaled a sigh, clicking on his touch pad a few times before he looked up at her again. "I mean that you've been on edge ever since Adriana told you she got her transfer letter from NYU. There's no use worrying about this when it's not going to get you anywhere. Either you got in or you didn't, but you're not going to know until that letter shows up in the mail, and it's not going to just because you stare outside and will it to."

Arai sighed and her shoulders dropped, frustrated. "I just want to know if I should be looking for places closer to home already," she replied. "I mean we're so set on going to New York next year. I hadn't really considered until recently what would happen if I didn't get in."

Ezra stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head, staring out the window with her. "_**If**_ that were to happen, and that's a very **small** if, then we would cross that bridge when we came to it. Whether you wanted to stay in Rosewood or go to New York and work…Whatever it is you want to do if that happens, we'll find a way to make it work."

Aria shook her head, unable to shake the pout that had settled over her face. "I don't want to stay in Rosewood. Why was I dumb enough to put all my hope to get into one school?"

"Everyone has a choice school. You're not wrong for wanting things a certain way. And you applied to Berkeley as a safety, right?" He asked.

Aria huffed. "Yeah, but it's not-"

"I know." Ezra kissed the top of her head once more, resting his head there for a moment as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo. "Forget about school for now. Your birthday is in a few weeks. Have you thought about what you want to do?"

Aria turned, looking up at Ezra. "There's not really anything special about it. My whole focus is going to be on studying for finals. Unless I don't get into NYU. Then I'll probably be too depressed to do anything but sulk."

Ezra chuckled, tightening his arms around her. "You're **not **going to spend your birthday depressed. You **will **get into NYU, and we'll all be happy in New York."

"You have so much faith," Aria murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. "Share it, **please**."

Ezra laughed. "You'll find it somewhere." He loosened his grip around her, turning her around to face him completely. "Go do something fun. Have dinner with your friends, go shopping…You're not going to get cheerful by staring out the window and trying to will a letter to come in the mail."

Aria chewed her bottom lip for a moment before nodding. "I need to buy a present for Spencer's birthday anyway. I'll call Hanna and Adriana and see if they're interested in a trip to Philadelphia."

"Bring me back a cheese steak," Ezra teased as she headed towards the bedroom.

_.,.  
><em>_We all learn to make mistakes and run from them  
><em>_From them, with no direction  
><em>_.,._

Aria carded her fingers through her hair as she walked through H&M, determined to find something that Spencer would like. There was always a toss-up on who was harder to shop for – or Hanna – but for the moment, it seemed to be coming up that Spencer was. She had no idea what Spencer could possibly want that she didn't already have. It made Aria feel even worse that she couldn't come up with anything that she could do on her own.

"Any luck finding something for the girl who has everything?"

Aria looked up as Adriana walked around her, looking at the rack of clothing in front of them. Aria shrugged, pushing aside a sweater she'd been eyeing.

"Not really. And I don't really know that there's a way for me to get my hands on a Princeton acceptance letter, so that doesn't really help."

Adriana nodded, pulling a pair of jeans off the next rack over. She held them up against her body and then checked the price tag. "What'd you guys get each other for Christmas?"

"She got me a cardigan with skulls on it, and I got her a book in Latin. I saved up for it for weeks." Aria exhaled in a frustrated manner, looking around the store – or at least the part of the store she could see.

"Well what if you don't get her something that costs money," Adriana offered. "I mean you guys are about to separate and head off to college in different states. What if you did something she could take with her. Like a collage or something?"

Aria chewed her lip, considering the option. She supposed she could write something like a poem, or find something similar online, and make a collage to surround it. "But you don't think that wouldn't be cheating? I mean I've done that a lot lately."

"In my experience, people like something that is from the heart more than they do knowing you spent money on something. There's more value in words or something you did with your hands than there is in spending twenty dollars on a book." Adriana replied. "Besides, wasn't one of your favourite gifts last year the scrap book you got?"

Aria nodded affirmatively as she pulled a cardigan off one of the racks and looked at it for a few moments. That scrapbook had definitely touched her heart a bit more than anything else she had received as a gift since Alison's death. Regardless of the fact that her memory of Alison was a mix of love and hate, she still had been one of her best friends, and Aria still loved and missed her.

"So I guess I'll make Spencer something," she said as she placed the sweater back on the rack. "Now that that's solved…how's married life?"

Adriana shrugged, grabbing a t-shirt off of another rack as they made their way further into the section of clothing they were looking at. Aria found an empty bench and sat down on it while Adriana continued to look through clothes.

"Hardy is already talking with a lawyer about Valerie," Adriana told her.

Aria's brow furrowed. "Moving day is almost two months away."

Adriana nodded, casting a glance over at her before she grabbed a t-shirt and looked it over. "He wants to be absolutely sure that Valerie can move in as soon as we move, and unless his parents sign over custody, he actually has to fight and have proof and all of that good stuff."

"Do you think they ever would actually just do that?" Aria asked. "Sign over custody, I mean."

Adriana shrugged again, holding a shirt up and looking at it. "I mean anything's possible. Considering they seem to see their kids as a nuisance more than anything else, it wouldn't surprise me. But who knows." She glanced down at Aria with a haughty expression. "They could suddenly grow hearts."

Aria shook her head, sickened by the idea. She knew that it was nowhere near the same thing, but she could sympathize with Valerie in her current situation, given all that she'd been through in the past year with Byron. "I wouldn't hold my breath."

Adriana snorted derisively. "Trust me. I'm not."

They continued to shop for a while, eventually making their way out of H&M and into another boutique. Aria continued to simply browse while it seemed Adriana was set on getting an entirely new wardrobe.

"Are you going to prom this year?" Adriana asked as she picked up a pair of black wedges from the small section of shoes in the store.

Aria looked up at her, considering the question for moment. "I hadn't really thought about it. I mean I kind of wasn't really planning to because Ezra would have to sneak in, and even at that…it feels like it would be such a chore. Besides, we had a good time at the gala earlier this year. I think that counts kind of like prom."

Adriana gaped at her. "You can't **not **go to prom, Aria. Especially your senior prom. That's such a rite of passage."

Aria groaned, dropping her head back against her shoulders. "But it's such a feat just to even get over all the obstacles to actually **get **to prom. It doesn't feel worth it to me to jump over all those hurdles just so I can dance in uncomfortable shoes for a few hours."

"But there's the pre-prom parties, and the post-prom parties…" Adriana said, practically salivating at the words. "You have to go. If you don't go, I'm stealing your school ID and going in your place. We look enough alike."

Aria chuckled, shaking her head. "How are you going to get Hardy in?"

"The same way you'll get Ezra in," Adriana replied. "Make 'em watch this hand instead of this one," she said as she gestured being sneaky with her hands.

Aria laughed, shaking her head. "Even if I **did** want to go, there's so much going on next month. There's my birthday, yours, graduation, finals… I feel like prom is crammed in there so tightly, there won't be any room to breathe until June."

"Nonsense," Adriana disagreed. "Just work out a study schedule for yourself starting like…now, and you won't be so swamped when it gets here. Also, I read this tip that if you chew gum while studying and then chew the same flavour during the test, it helps you remember. Just an idea."

"You're so crazy," Aria giggled. "Somehow I don't know how we ever became friends."

Adriana shrugged off the comment like water. "I made you love me."

_.,.  
><em>_Heartbeat, don't beat too loud; it might just break you  
><em>_Follow you, follow you, it follows you  
><em>_.,._

Aria sighed as she pushed her computer aside, frustrated. She'd been trying to write for more than an hour, but everything she came up with, she didn't like.

Ezra looked up from his own laptop, over at her. "What's up?"

Aria shook her head, swinging her legs over the bed to stretch. "At the moment? Nothing. I don't have any words to give at the moment."

"Maybe you're distracted," he replied.

Aria raised an eyebrow. "By what?"

"Well this week is kind of symbolic," Ezra replied.

Aria's forehead crinkled in confusion. She picked her phone up from beside her and checked the date. She continued thinking about it for a moment. "I'm lost. What should I be remembering?"

Ezra stared at her with a slightly surprised expression. "We told your parents about us this week last year."

Aria's eyes widened. Even as it hit her that it had been a year since they had gone public with their relationship, the events of those few weeks felt as though they had only happened a few days earlier. She remembered all the conversations, and the tears, and how much it hurt every time her parents made her feel like she meant nothing.

After several long moments, she looked back up at Ezra. "I can't believe I didn't realize that."

"A lot has changed in a year," Ezra replied as he sunk down onto the bed.

Aria nodded. "I can't believe it's been so long since it all happened, though. There were times when I honestly hated my life in the middle of all of that, because it sucked."

"I guess that's proof that life doesn't always stay the same," Ezra replied. "Being happy or unhappy can always change."

Aria curled her fist around his t-shirt and pulled him down on the bed next to her, laying down in the middle. "Promise me that we'll stay this happy, at least for a little while."

Ezra pressed his lips to her forehead, chuckling. "Well we've just come through the storm of the century with Hardy and Dre, and there's graduation and moving to look forward to. I think you're going to be happy for a while."

"**If** I get into NYU," Aria murmured softly, sighing quietly.

"Have a little faith," Ezra reminded her. "Just trust that everything is going to fall into place like it's supposed to, and it will. There's nothing you can do about what's already happened."

"Really? Because I was watching TV this morning, and I saw this TV show where this family had all these magical powers and the husband could rewind time-"

Ezra laughed. "I've seen that show. He loses that power."

Aria sighed again. "Damn."

Ezra continued to rub his fingers up and down her back as they laid there. He had become well versed in her college fears when he had applied to schools years earlier, and even more recently when Adriana had applied. He knew well enough to know that regardless of anything he said, she was still going to worry until the day that the letter showed up. And even after that, he was sure she'd find something else to panic about.

"Are you gonna fall asleep?" He asked after a while when she hadn't said anything.

Aria giggled, shaking her head as he lifted her head up off his chest. "No. Just laying here thinking about the future and silently panicking."

Ezra shook his head at her as she finally looked up at him. "I promise you all the things you're scared about, aren't going to be as terrifying as they feel. You'll only be two hours away from home, and you won't be alone. I'm sure you'll see your mom and your brother more than you think."

Aria pouted, snuggling closer to him. "When did we get so old?"

Ezra laughed, rubbing her back again. "Apparently right this second."

_.,.  
><em>_It feels like the first time  
><em>_It feels like the very first time  
><em>_.,._

Aria closed her notebook lazily as other students rose around her, heading for the door to go home. For as much as she wasn't enjoying school lately, she was feeling even more lethargic about it than usual. She knew that majority of why she felt that way was because of the stress of final exams coming up, and then graduation. There as no help at all coming from the fact that she still hadn't finished the poem she was trying to write for Spencer's birthday.

"Is something wrong with you?"

She looked up from her desk to see her mother standing in the doorway. Aria shrugged, moving out of her seat and stuffing her things into her book bag. "No…I've just been really distracted lately."

"By what?" Ella asked as she waited for Aria to reach the front of the room.

Aria shrugged, hiking her bag further up her shoulder. "A lot of stuff. School ending, graduation, finals…" She sighed as she reached the end of the aisle of desk, and leaned back against the one at the front of the row. "I'm afraid of not being happy when it's all said and done."

Ella stared at her for a long moment. "When all of what is said and done, exactly?" She questioned.

"All of it," Aria explained. "Graduating, moving…what if I don't get into NYU? Or worse, I do, and I hate it? Em, Hanna, and Spencer aren't going to be there to convince me to stick it out. And you'll be here."

A smile crossed Ella's face as she walked over to where Aria was standing. She wrapped an arm around her daughter, brushing her hand up and down Aria's arm. "It's okay to be gun shy, kiddo. To be entirely honest, I don't think you're going to hate it as much as you think you are. And there's no reason why you can't come back home every now and then."

"I just feel so dumb being scared by it," Aria admitted as she looked back up at her mother. "I mean I've been dreaming about this for so long, and now it's here, and I feel like I'm diving head first into something I'm not really ready for."

Ella chuckled. "You are. I know you are. You're just crumbling a little under the pressure. I have faith that soon enough you'll decide to just go with the flow and forget about everything else."

Aria rolled her eyes, laughing a little, though it was haughty. "Can it happen sooner?"

"For your sanity, I hope it happens very fast," Ella said, though Aria could hear the slightest sound of amusement in her voice. She exhaled a long breath and brought a hand up to her face, covering her eyes for a moment, as if she was weary from the weight of the world on her shoulders.

It was silent for a few moments longer, and then Aria lifted her head up as she was sure she heard Ezra's voice. Confusion washed over her; why in the world would Ezra be at the high school?

Before she could move to walk out of the room though, he was standing in the doorway. He paused there for a moment, seeming to pause to catch his breath, before he spoke.

"I tried your cell three times when you didn't come home." He commented.

Aria nodded. "I stayed after to help Spencer with ideas for the expo. Is something wrong?"

Ezra looked to Ella, and then back at Aria. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "This came in the mail today."

Aria gulped, looking down at the thin envelope in his hand. "Is that what I think it is?"

Ezra nodded silently.

"It's thin," she commented as she stared at it for several long moments. "Thin usually means-"

"Thin doesn't always mean rejection," Ella said, cutting her off.

Aria's hands began to shake at her sides as she stared at the envelope once more. Suddenly she felt like she was in a staring contest against it, trying to be the object that survived longer.

"I can't open it," she said after a few long minutes. "One of you do it."

Ezra looked at Ella, moving his hand just a few inches, but in a manner that offered the envelope to her. Ella didn't move though, leaving the duty to fall on his shoulders. Ezra looked down at the envelope, and all at once, he could feel Aria's nerves getting to him. With shaking hands, he turned the envelope over and tore through the seal before pulling out the papers inside. He unfolded them and found the top page before his eyes quickly began scanning the opening sentences. His lips moved but made no sound as he read.

After a few moments of watching him read, Aria lost her patience. "So? What does it say?"

Ezra looked up at her. "How set were you again on moving to New York?" He asked.

Aria glared at him in a way that she never had before, and Ezra nearly balked at the sight of it.

"You got in," he said quickly. "From what I read, they're offering a partial scholarship. All you have to do is accept it."

For ninety long seconds, nobody moved or said anything. Ella and Ezra stood in silence, waiting for Aria to react, while the younger woman seemed to soak in what she was being told. When the weight of it all finally seemed to hit her, a grin broke out across her face. She moved away from Ella, but only far enough that she could do a variation of a victory dance, laughing and squealing as she repeatedly pumped her fist in the air in excitement. She had gotten what she wanted, and she was going to the college she had dreamed about attending for years. Even in the mess of everything that had happened in the past year, she was still getting her dream. And as if it was meant to be, the knowledge of that allowed most of the weight she'd been carrying around on her shoulders to simply float away, because things were falling into place after all.

_.,.  
><em>_This distance cant distant my heart from yours tonight  
><em>_But I'm wide awake now and I'm holding your picture  
><em>_.,._

Aria brushed a hand through her hair as she stared at herself through the window of the grill. She was still waiting for the other girls to show up, but she knew she'd been early. Most of the reason she'd left home so early was because she was too full of energy to sit at home.

"I really hope your gift doesn't top mine."

Aria turned her head to see Toby walking up carrying a wrapped box. She chuckled.

"Mine is home-made, but it's also for Hanna and Emily too, so…" She shrugged. "Besides, you're the boyfriend. I'm sure whatever you made is bound to be better."

"I'm just sorry we couldn't have a real birthday party for her," he replied.

Aria laughed. "I don't really think she would let us cut into her study time with finals coming up in just a few weeks."

"No, I wouldn't."

Aria and Toby both looked up to see Spencer walking up, quickly followed by Hanna and Emily. Their cars were parked further down the street. They all greeted each other with hugs before heading into the grill. They walked over to one of the tables. Aria, Hanna, and Emily sat on one side while Spencer and Toby sat on the other side.

"Please say you're doing the expo again this year," Spencer begged Aria. "I swear half the student body hates me because they are **refusing **to fill up the time slots."

Aria chuckled. "I'm sure you'll find some people. And what could I really do? I feel like I would just make people bored. No one likes me, remember?"

"People like you," Hanna said, disagreeing. "I don't know how many girls I've seen say they have mounds of respect for you for what you did last year."

Aria raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously?"

Her three girl friends nodded, which only served to shock her that much more.

"Didn't you and that Holden kid once do something for the talent show in middle school?" Toby asked.

Aria nodded, if not a bit reluctantly. "Uh, yeah. But he's kind of dating my brother right now so…"

"Mike is dating a guy?" The question, or a variation of it, came from each of her friends as she sat there. For a moment, it occurred to her that maybe she shouldn't have said anything, but Toby was quick to cut in.

"I saw them at that new coffee shop the other day together. The one your mom's boyfriend owns." He said. "I don't think it's any kind of secret."

"I'll talk to him," Aria said dismissively to Spencer after a long moment. "I make no promises, though. Besides, I thought we were here to celebrate the fact that you're officially old enough to drink in Europe."

Spencer grinned, shaking her head. "No, we're here to celebrate the fact that I got into Princeton."

Aria's eyes widened and she noticed in her peripheral vision that her friends had the same expressions. "That's amazing, Spence!"

Spencer smiled happily, accepting the fresh round of hugs from her friends. "My parents are pretty excited too. They want to throw a party, but I managed to talk them down to a dinner party next weekend. You guys better come so I don't have to spend the whole night talking to fifty year-olds about why they're called the Ivy-leagues."

"I can't," Hanna said with a frown. "I agreed to let my parents take me to a college tour in Pittsburgh."

"Aren't you planning to go to UCLA with Caleb?" Spencer asked.

Hanna nodded. Before she could answer though, a waiter finally walked up and gave them glasses of water before taking their orders. Once he'd walked away, the girls turned their attention back to Hanna.

"What gives?" Spencer questioned. "Why the useless college tour?"

Hanna shook her head, brushing a hand through her growing blond hair. In the six months since she'd cut it, it was now just reaching past her shoulders. "They've got this crazy idea that they're going to convince me to stick around and live here in-state. And to be clear, **he **applied to UCLA. I applied to FIDM."

"Would you do it if you didn't get in?" Aria asked.

"Hell no," Hanna replied without missing a beat. "Do you know how many different places I could intern for if I don't get in? There's nothing keeping me here in Rosewood – especially without you guys."

Their returned a few moments later with their drinks, and friendly conversation moved among the five of them as the night continued on. When their dinner had been brought to them and they had all eaten enough, the girls each pulled out their gifts. Hanna being Hanna, she had bought Spencer a pair of 400 dollar shoes that weren't even out yet in the states. How she managed to get her hands on a pair of them was beyond Aria, but she was sure that it had taken a lot of tenacity for her to not suddenly decide to keep them for herself.

Emily gave Spencer tickets for a two day trip to a spa. As Aria watched her friends hand over the pricy gifts, a part of her worried that maybe she'd gotten off too easy by doing something homemade and simple.

"I really hope this doesn't suck for you," Aria said as she pulled three boxes from the bag resting next to her feet. "I actually made one for the three of you that I figured you would like."

She passed the correct boxes to her three friends, though Hanna and Emily waited respectfully as Spencer opened hers. Upon opening the box, she pulled out a black wooden photo frame. Inside the frame was a collage of photos – both of just she and Aria, as well as group photos. In the center was a short poem.

_You never know what you really need  
><em>_Until it's all that you can see_

_You never know what you've got  
><em>_Until it's what you haven't lost_

_You never know how much you can love  
><em>_Until you've seen the flight of a dove_

_Thanks for being my friend/ninja/partner-in-crime/sister  
><em>_In this life. I love you._

Spencer looked up from the frame to Aria as she finished reading for a brief moment before she placed it on the counter and moved around it, wrapping her arms tightly around the smaller girl.

Aria chuckled, hugging her back. "I love you too Spence, but I can't _breathe." _

"Just a few more moments," Spencer said, refusing to let up on her grip. "Aria that's literally the best gift anyone's ever given me."

Hanna and Emily must've opened their gifts after Spencer had dove at her, because instead of the grip on her body being loosened, Aria felt her friends envelope her even tighter, while Toby laughed from the other side of the table.

"Seriously you guys, I can't breathe," Aria said, trying not to laugh.

"You should've have made something so sweet and cute then!" Hanna cried as she only hugged her tighter.

"Hanna your elbow is in my ribs," Emily said a moment later.

"**Your **elbow is on my spine," Aria said to Emily.

The girls finally released her a few moments later, though it was clearly a reluctant move on their parts. Spencer and Hanna returned to their seats while Emily simply moved hers back to its proper spot.

"What inspired these?" Spencer asked as she placed the photo gently back into the tissue paper inside the box before she covered it again.

Aria shrugged. "I was struggling to think of what I could buy you, and then someone suggested I make something instead, because it would mean more. But I couldn't come up with anything until yesterday." She paused for a moment to take a drink of her soda. "I got my letter back from NYU and found out I'd been accepted, and it hit me…we've only got a little more than a month left with each other, and we'll all be leaving. I just want you guys to know you're taking part of me with you when you go."

"You're so destined to be a writer," Hanna giggled.

Aria shook her head at her blond friend, though she smiled. Shortly thereafter their waiter returned and they requested takeout containers for their leftovers before they began to argue over who would pay the bill. Spencer wanted to pay for it all, while each of the girls insisted they wanted to cover the tab equally. Toby ultimately won however, paying for the meal while they were arguing.

As headed out of the building, Aria paused, reaching the street. She turned and looked at Toby. "Didn't you get her anything?"

Spencer chuckled. "He made and built me a vanity table."

"Aww," Aria commented. "That's so sweet. I'm jealous."

"Of what?" Spencer said, poking Aria in the ribs. "Ezra writes you poems."

Aria opened her mouth to make a comment that Ezra and Toby combined could be a culmination of the perfect man, but her phone ringing in her pocket stopped her from doing so. She exhaled a soft sigh, realizing she should probably get home. She enveloped Spencer quickly in a tight hug.

"I love you dearly. Don't you ever forget that," she said to the taller girl.

Spencer hugged her back, nearly pulling Aria from the ground as she stood on her tiptoes. "I love you more. And don't you ever forget that."

Aria laughed, holding on to her best friend just a few moments longer before they finally parted and Spencer headed down the street with Toby while Aria walked over to her car. Once she reached it, she opened her door and settled inside it. She took several deep breaths, feeling tears burn behind her eyes. She was extremely excited for the things that were coming her way in the next few months, that was for sure. But ultimately knowing that she would be leaving her friends was pulling her heart apart in ways she hadn't realized until that very moment, and it hurt like hell.


	26. One More Good Memory

**A/N: **At 7600 words, you should love me dearly for this chapter, because I certainly struggled with it. But I do actually hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: **I know I never do these, but I figured I might as well because I also wanted to add this in: diphenhydramine is a real drug. Brand-wise, it's technically Benadryl, but it's also in stuff like Tylenol-PM because it causes drowsiness. And of course, I own nothing but the idea. (And of course Addy and all the OCs.)

_Chapter 26_

_One More Good Memory_

Ezra exhaled heavily for the fifth time as he stared into the darkness of their bedroom. He had no idea why the stress of proposing was just hitting him now when he'd been quietly planning the events that he was hoping would lead to an engagement for weeks now. As far as he knew, Aria didn't have the slightest clue about what was going on, and her seeing him wide away and frustrated wasn't going to do anything to help keep that a secret. But that didn't stop the nerves from coiling a knot in his stomach.

He knew that logically it was the fear of what would happen if she said no. The biggest part of him wanted to believe without a doubt that she would say yes and mean it, but a growing part of him in the very pit of his stomach had this terrible fear that she would say no.

He had no problem blaming Hardy for the predicament he was in at the moment. His best friend had made an off-the-cuff comment about how there always being a chance that Aria could say no, and even though Ezra knew the other man was joking, it had started a domino effect of panicked theories about what could keep her from agreeing to marry him.

Like what if Byron showed up and convinced her that she was doing the wrong thing? What if Ella changed her mind? What if her friends decided all of a sudden that they hated him? What if she didn't even make it to the coffee house because she got in a car accident? What if something else happened? What if Sebastian kidnapped her.

He huffed once more, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. Frustrated, he sat up and opened the bedside drawer. He moved his hand inside the drawer as quietly as possible until he found the small bottle his fingers were searching before. He pulled it out and quietly untwisted the cap before pulling the cotton out of the top. He shoved two fingers down into the bottle and pulled up to small pink caplets, looking down at the diphenhydramine in his hand for a few moments. He knew it would do the trick of putting him to sleep, but it would also knock him out pretty good until the morning. What if Aria went looking for money for coffee and found the ring?

He rolled his eyes at himself, silently reminding himself that everything happened the way it was supposed to, and in its own time. If Aria was meant to find the ring, she would. He quickly tossed the pills into his mouth and then gulped them down with the glass of water resting on the nightstand. He quietly returned the pill bottle to the bedside drawer before slipping quietly off the bed and walking over to his desk chair. He reached into the pocket and pulled out the small ring box. As he looked around the room, he realized he had no clue where to shove it without making any noise. Looking around the room a final time, his eyes fell on the half-empty tissue box. He walked over to it and reached inside, pulling the tissue up a bit before he slipped the box down under the tissue. The small hump in the centre of the tissues caused from being forced into the square box provided a perfect cover.

Finally, Ezra returned to the bed, hopeful that he was safe, at least until the morning. As he slipped back beneath the blankets, Aria groaned quietly, but otherwise made no noise. She snuggled into him and he wrapped his arm around her, hoping she was sleeping deeply enough that the hammering of his heartbeat didn't wake or alarm her. He just had to make it through twenty or so more hours.

_.,.  
><em>_I never saw you coming, and I'll never be the same  
><em>_.,._

Aria yawned as she brushed her hair back off her face, staring into the mirror. Her hair had long since grown back since cutting it several months earlier, which gave her a desperate urge to leave it down. However, she knew it was supposed to be very warm for most of the day. She also knew that the plans for the day were basically top secret as far as she was concerned, which was doing very little to help her figure out what to do with her hair or what to wear.

She exhaled heavily and grabbed an elastic off the counter, tying her hair back into a high ponytail before she began to apply makeup. She hummed softly to herself to fill the silence, being careful not to poke herself in the eye as she brushed on mascara. Once she was finished, she exited the bathroom and walked to the bedroom. She dropped her towel and pulled on undergarments before reaching for the dress she'd picked out for the day. It was dark red with a swoop neckline, hanging lowly enough to just barely give the sight of cleavage, but still be modest. It was a summer dress with pockets for convenience, but was also sleeveless. She was wearing the same sweater she'd worn on her birthday the year before incase it got cold.

She walked over to the nightstand and picked her phone up, unplugging it. Ezra was still fast asleep in the bed, not seeming to have made any move to wake up.

She walked around the bed and leaned over, kissing him quickly. He groaned beneath her, shifting slightly as she leaned back up, and then opening his eyes. His brow furrowed as he looked around the room.

"What time is it?"

"About ten-thirty," Aria replied. "I'm gonna go meet my mom for brunch, and then apparently I'm having pictures taken?"

Ezra nodded, pushing up on the bed so that he was seated. "I'll meet you there. I think the appointment is for one."

Aria nodded as well, looking down at her phone as it buzzed in her hand, signaling a message from Ella. She turned her phone down to silent and then placed it back in the left pocket on her dress before grabbing a pair of black sling-backs from the closet and turning to walk out of the room.

Ezra stayed in the bed, waiting until he had heard Aria's car start outside the apartment to move. Afterwards, he moved off the bed and walked over to the window, peering out of it in time to see her pulling away from the apartment.

He walked back over to the bed and grabbed the Kleenex box from the bedside table. He reached inside of it and pulled out the ring box. He quickly flipped it open, exhaling a soft sigh at the sight of the sapphire diamond still inside the slot holding the ring in place. Aria hadn't found it. His plans weren't dashed yet.

He closed the box in his hand and then exited the room, crossing through the living room to the bathroom. He opened the linen closet and shoved the ring down behind a stack of towels before reaching into the shower and turning on the spray. Once the temperature was set to his liking, he removed his clothes and stepped inside, pulling the curtain shut behind him.

He showered quickly, knowing that Adriana would be by soon enough. She was just about the only thing keeping him sane at the current point, given that his stress level had been through the roof. He'd never been so terrified of something in his life than he had been in recent days. Hell, he hadn't even been this scared when he'd proposed to Jackie, and that had been with barely any money for a ring.

Once he was properly clean and had relaxed as much as a hot shower could calm him, he stepped out of the shower and toweled off before heading back to the bedroom. He knew well enough that it was supposed to be very warm, and he also knew there were probably going to be a lot of photos taken of he and Aria that day. He quickly tugged on a pair of boxers before going to the closet. He dug through it for a few moments, and in the briefest moment, realized what it must be like to be a girl trying to find the perfect outfit. He groaned at himself and tugged a dark blue vest out of the closet before pulling out a red dress shirt out as well. Finally, he pulled down a pair of khaki shorts and tossed all of the clothes on the bed before tossing the shorts on the bed.

Ezra quickly tugged on the dress shirt and buttoned it up before sliding the vest on over it and buttoning it as well. He retrieved the shorts from the bed and pulled them on last. He tucked the dress shirt into the shorts before buttoning and zipping them. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of socks before leaning back against the bed to tug them on. As he was, the sound of a car pulling up outside the apartment. He moved off the bed and walked out of the room in time to hear the car shut off. He was sure it was Adriana, but the possibility that it might actually be Aria set a wave of panic through him. He dashed into the bathroom, reaching behind the stack of towels to pull out the ring box. His breathing began to pick up as he searched blindly, trying to find where he'd dropped the box, but all he could feel were more towels and the wall.

The door opened across the apartment, and he tugged his hand out from behind the towels, staring at the closet nervously. "You come back for something?" He asked in the best nonchalant voice he could manage.

"It's me."

Ezra exhaled a heavy sigh, looking over briefly to see Adriana and Hardy walking into the sitting room. "Thank God."

"Calm down," Adriana said as she settled a tray of coffees on the table. She walked over to him and rested a hand on his bicep, clearly trying to keep him grounded. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find the ring," he replied. "I dropped it behind the towels incase she came back, and-"

"I'll find it," she told him in the same calm tone. "You need to do something with your hair before it dries like that."

Ezra stared at her nervously for a moment before inhaling a deep breath and turning to face the mirror. He could see what she meant at the sight of his curls going wild across the top of his head. He grabbed a comb off the counter and tamed the curls a bit before retrieving hair texturizer and smoothing it into place.

"I got the ring," Adriana said as he finished smoothing his hair into the proper place. "I just- Oh-…Umm…"

Ezra whipped around, fully into panic-mode once more. "What?"

"Is there a crack in your wall?" She asked. "My ring is stuck."

"There's knicks in the wall," Ezra replied, stepping up next to her. He pulled the towels out from under her arm, giving her room to move.

"Why would you take a damaged apartment?" Adriana commented as her hand came into view. She easily slid her ring out of the spot and pulled her arm out, dropping the ring into the pocket of Ezra's vest.

"No one sees them," he answered. "You lived here for two months, and you obviously didn't know."

Adriana shook her head at him, walking out of the bathroom. Ezra replaced the towels and then followed her out of the bathroom, into the sitting room where Hardy was sitting, sipping coffee and furiously texting.

"What're you doing?" Ezra asked as he pulled the ring box from his pocket and dropped it into the pocket of his shorts where it was less noticeable.

"Talking to my sister," Hardy replied. "My parents are having a fit that they didn't know Dixon is back in the states, and she wants to leave. I told her if she can find a place to go for the night, I'll drive up tonight and pick her up."

Ezra's eyes grew wide. "What? No, you can't leave. You have to be here."

Adriana slapped her hand back against his shoulder. "Stop being such a girl. I'll still be here."

"I won't leave until after you ask her to marry you," Hardy said. "Besides, if she says no, I'm sure you won't want to stick around anyway."

"Hardy!" Adriana growled at him, shaking her head.

"I'm just joking," he insisted. "I'm sure Aria will say yes."

"You better hope so," Ezra muttered as he grabbed one of the coffee cups. "If this goes bad, I **will **kick your ass."

Adriana glared at Ezra. "You both need to grow up. In the meantime though, what do you need us to do today?"

"I've got to leave here at twelve thirty because her mom booked an appointment for Aria and her brother to get pictures taken and I guess I'm supposed to be in some of those photos. After that, she's going to meet up with her friends for a while and I have to get work done for tomorrow, and then the party starts at five. I have no clue when it's supposed to end, but we're waiting for sundown at least."

"I checked the news this morning, and they're saying dusk should happen by seven thirty," Adriana replied. "I've got about a hundred and fifty candles in the back of my car right now, though. And if for some reason I absolutely can't get away because she's talking to me," she turned to face Hardy.

"Then I'll just say I have to go get Val. Hopefully I won't actually have to though." He finished.

"In the meantime, you should eat something," Adriana said as she walked back over to the table and grabbed the bag Hardy had left on it when they first arrived. She reached in and pulled out a burrito before walking back to Ezra and dropping it in his hand.

"I'm not hungry right now," he replied, staring down at her.

"I don't give a crap," she said in her most maternal voice. "You're not going to have time later, and I know you'll be too distracted during the party. Eat now so you don't make yourself sick. Seriously, the last thing you need to do is be having dizzy spells over a bunch of lit candles."

Though Ezra was slightly surprised by his sisters assertive attitude, he took the burrito anyway and walked over to the couch, opening the foil around the tortilla as he did. He sat down on the other end of the couch from Hardy and took a bite into the burrito. He knew Adriana was right; there probably wouldn't be time to eat until evening, and he'd probably be too busy and distracted by then to actually eat anything.

After he finished eating, he headed out with Hardy and Adriana to get the rest of the supplies they would need for the evening. Ella and Zack had decided to take care of everything that had to do with food and beverages, and Adriana had nominated herself to help Zack get the small café set up for the actual party. However, Ezra still had to pick up the cake and deliver it to the café, as well as buy paper plates and eating utensils. And of course, write the speech he was going to say to Aria.

Before he knew it, he had picked up the things needed for party, delivered them to the café, and left Adriana to go to work while he headed a few blocks over to the studio where the photos were be taken in.

When he arrived, Aria was posed back against a black backdrop, laughing at something Mike had said that Ezra hadn't quite caught. He crossed the room and Aria grinned at him in time for the woman taking photos to take another picture.

"Sorry I'm late," he commented as he settled white box on the table containing the various things the Montgomery's had brought with them. It contained a cupcake that he'd picked up for her when he'd gotten the cake.

"We've got about ten good shots here," the photographer told Ella. "I know you wanted a couple of different mixes of all of you as well as singles."

Ella nodded, staring at the screen and the photos that had been taken. "Mike?"

He looked up from his phone and then stood out of his seat, walking over to the spot Aria had just been standing in as she crossed the room and walked over to Ezra.

"Hi," she greeted cheerfully. She tilted her head up and pecked him on the lips.

Ezra kissed her back for a moment before they parted. He watched as Aria's line of sight dropped to the box sitting on the table.

"Did you get me something?" Aria asked.

Ezra chuckled. "It's a cupcake. Yes."

"Aww," Aria cooed as she picked it up and pulled the wrapping off that was keeping the box shut. She opened it up and swiped her index finger through the frosting, bringing her finger up to her lips to lick it away. Afterwards, she closed the box replaced it on the table. She reached for Ezra's hands and smiled at him happily.

He chuckled at her, leaning down to kiss her. Aria pressed her body up against his and released his hands, wrapping her arms around him to hold his body against hers as they kissed for several more moments. When they parted, Aria rested her chin on his chest, staring up at him.

"I'm so glad today has finally come. I mean I know it's kinda pointless now, but now there's nothing standing in the way of us." She said softly.

"It's not pointless," Ezra disagreed. "And you should be happy."

_.,.  
><em>_I've been trying to make-believe it doesn't hurt  
><em>_But that makes it worse; see I'm a wreck inside  
><em>_.,._

"You guys realize I'd be totally happy if we just did something like dinner, right?" Aria said as they got out of the car. Hanna, Spencer, and Emily had all but dragged her out to Philadelphia for retail therapy – or at least that had been their excuse. Aria was ninety-nine percent positive that their real reason was because of a party that her friends and family were trying to keep quiet from her.

"I'm surprised we even talked Spencer into getting her head out of her textbooks," Emily commented with a laugh as she walked alongside Aria.

"I **will **find time to study tonight," Spencer said in an insistent tone.

The three girls chuckled at her, continuing to follow the taller girl down the street until they'd reached The Brew. Spencer pulled the door open and the three girls filed in in front of Aria, leaving the birthday girl slightly miffed as she shoved the door open to get through.

The small increment of time was all the three girls needed though, because when Aria turned around and was met with the scream of her friends and family saying 'happy birthday', she nearly jumped with fright. After a moment to gather herself, she chuckled, resting a hand against her chest as she took a deep breath.

"I hope we managed to properly surprise you," Adriana said as she stepped out from the crowd, wrapping an arm around Aria and leading her further into the café. The area that was usually taken over by tables and students studying was now taken over by people standing around. She could just barely make out the table on the other side of the room with food on it.

"This was so great of you guys to do," Aria said as the two girls walked up to her mother and Zack. "And ridiculous too. You didn't have to do all of this for me!"

"It's for me too," Ella said as she wrapped an arm around her daughter. "You're all grown up now, and that's something I still can't believe. And besides, we had help."

Aria giggled, hugging her mother. "Don't cry!"

Though determined to do as her daughter said, Ella held Aria a few seconds longer than she needed to, savoring the moment.

When she had released her, Aria slowly began to make her way through the room, greeting her friends and various family members that were there to celebrate with her. Nearly an hour passed before she finally had a spare moment to sit down and take a breath.

She sunk down onto a chair an empty table, holding a plate with a piece of pizza on it, in one hand, while she had a glass of punch in her other hand. She picked up the pizza off the plate and took a bite of it, sighing softly as the flavours hit her tongue.

"Isn't it sacrilege for the guest of honor to be sitting on her own?"

Aria looked up and chuckled, gesturing to the chair next to hers. "Please, sit down. I have about a million questions for you."

Holden pulled out the chair across from hers and sat down as she requested, settling his own food down. "Your family sure knows how to throw a nice party."

Aria nodded, looking around the room – only briefly though. She knew that if she looked like she wasn't doing anything for more than a few seconds, five people would run up needing talk to her about one thing or another. She turned her attention back to Holden.

"So do you want to tell me how in the world you and my brother ended up together?" She asked bluntly. "I didn't even know you knew him."

"I thought he told you how we met," Holden replied, if not a little surprised.

"He told me that you met in the library," Aria said. "But how does one go from studying in silence to having a relationship?"

Holden shrugged, taking a bite of his pizza. He chewed and swallowed it before answering her. "I don't really know. He made a comment about not wanting to study one day and going to see a movie instead. I tug along and then afterwards he was talking to me about all the stuff with your parents…" His voice trailed off. "How does anyone get started in a relationship?"

Aria giggled, shaking her head at herself. "Making out on bathroom counter?"

Holden shook his head at her, trying to keep from laughing himself. "I'm not even going to try and figure out how you went from doing that to being here."

Before Aria could say another word, Hanna walked up and practically dragged her over to another part of the café where one of her aunts was taking pictures. Emily and Spencer were already standing there, and tugged Aria and Hanna into the space with them, letting her aunt snap a number of photos of them before they stopped to look at the pictures. They each picked out a few and then headed over to the printer with the camera, printing off the photos they each wanted.

More time passed in a blur for Aria, and before she knew it, the sun had disappeared behind the buildings across the street. Someone decided it was time for cake, and Ella began the valiant effort of lighting eighteen candles quickly. Afterwards, Zack turned the lights off and the thirty or so people in attendance serenaded Aria. When they had finished, she leaned down and blew all the candles out, leaving the room in relative darkness, save for the occasional cell phone.

"Zack you can get the lights now," Ella called across the room.

The room stayed dark, and Aria exchanged a glance with her mother.

A moment later, Zack responded, "there must be something up with the breaker. There's lanterns outside, though. Just follow me."

Slowly, people began to file out of the café, into the back of the building. Ella pulled the cake gently off the table while a few of her family members grabbed the cups, plates, the various liquids, and gallon tub of ice cream. Aria turned in her spot, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for people to pass through so she could get outside.

"What happened?"

Aria looked up to see Ezra stepping out of the bathroom on the other side of the café. "You missed it?"

Ezra shook his head. "I went to the bathroom after everyone sang."

"I guess there's something wrong with the power," Aria said, taking Ezra's hand as he reached her. The last of her family and friends filed out into the back yard, leaving them standing alone in the building.

Aria turned to head outside, and Ezra gripped her hand tighter, causing her to turn around and look back at him. "Something wrong?"

Ezra shook his head. "No, I just wanted a moment with you before we rejoin everyone."

Aria smiled, turning back to face him. They kissed chastely, and Ezra brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, cupping her face in his hand.

"Words don't even begin to describe how much I love you," he said softly. "And there was a long stretch of time not too long ago when I never would've dreamed that we would've made it to this day. But I'm glad we're here. There's no one else I'd rather be with."

Tears swirled in Aria's eyes as she stared up at him. She inhaled a deep breath and leaned up, kissing him on the lips quickly. "I feel the same."

He pulled her tightly into him, settling for the comfort of a hug, though the move was more for convenience as he looked to the doorway in time to see Adriana standing up, giving him a thumbs-up. He gave the slightest nod he could manage, and she popped her head inside the door. "You guys coming?"

Aria turned around to look at her, nodding. "Just a moment."

Adriana turned back around, and Aria and Ezra finally released each other. He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside of the building. As Aria stepped out of the café behind him, she gulped. As promised, lanterns lit up the area, but her eyes were pulled to the arrangement of candles spelling out the words 'marry me?' on the ground in front of her. She looked up at Ezra, speechless. He took her hands into his once more, taking in a shaky breath.

"From the first moment I saw you, I was so wonderstruck by the person in front of me. As I got to know you and everything about you, every sense of logic told me to run in the other direction. Part of it was because you were in high school, and I was your teacher, but a large part of me knew that if I invested myself into this relationship the way you were asking me, that I might just fall in love with you. I knew if that happened, I was never going to want to look at another woman."

Ezra paused for a moment, struggling to keep the knot in his throat at bay. The lightest sense of a smile played across his lips as he lifted a hand to her cheek. Aria turned her head into it as tears ran down her face.

"All I have ever wanted is to love you wholly and honestly in front of the entire world. Every time I've seen you hurt, it's made me want to be a better man. Every time you laugh or smile, my heart swells, and your passion continues to make me love you more every day. I have loved you since the day you convinced me not to let what other people think keep us from being together, when Hardy first met you."

A light giggle passed around them, and Ezra could see the smile that pulled across Aria's mouth as she looked up at Hardy, standing just a few feet behind Ezra with his arm wrapped tightly around Adriana.

Ezra pressed his lips together for a moment as his chin trembled just the slightest. "It has killed me to say no to you when it comes to us, when fate was standing right there screaming in my face that I was wrong. But if you'll let me, I'd devote the rest of my life to showing you that I'd never do that again. Please let me spend the rest of my life with you, taking you to readings and sharing plates of fries." He let out a soft chuckle. "You are the most real thing, and so far beyond anything I ever could've dreamed up for myself. I understand every hardship I've ever had to face now; because it's brought me right here to this moment. With you."

Aria's chin trembled and her hands shook at her sides as she stared up at him – no, it was more like they were staring **in** to each other. That moment of pure, unadulterated clarity lasted just a few seconds longer before she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She pressed her lips against his, only for a moment, before his tongue was in her mouth, holding her tightly against him so she didn't fall. The clapping and cheering that went on around them fell upon deaf ears as they continued to kiss.

Only when they were both breathless and starving for oxygen did he finally lower her to the ground. Aria pressed several chaste kisses to his lips as giggles of happiness began to emit from her. She grinned wetly at him, finally able to look him clearly in the eyes for the first time in more than minute.

"Yes, Ezra Fitz. I will marry you."

The tears that finally tracked their way down Ezra's face were no match for the smile that broke across his face as he stared down at Aria. His hands fumbled as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring box. He opened it up and pulled out the ring – a sapphire diamond on a silver band – and slipped it onto Aria's finger. It was atypical, just like her, and she absolutely adored it.

She giggled as she looked back up at him, so fully filled with extreme joy and passion that the only thing she could think to do was launch herself at him once more.

_.,.  
><em>_Is this the whole picture, or is this just the start  
><em>_Is this the way you love me, you're capturing my heart  
><em>_.,._

Aria's feet drug against the floor as she walked through the doorway into the bedroom. Her feet ached from the heels she'd worn all day, and she couldn't help but wonder why she had been stupid enough to wear them on a day when the grass was wet from rain the night before.

She trudged over to the bed, dropping against it rather than actually doing anything to remove her shoes or anything of the sort.

Ezra chuckled, walking into the room a few moments later. He settled several large bags on the floor before walking over to the bed and sitting on the end of it by her feet. He gently slipped off one shoe and rubbed his thumbs down the sole of her foot. Aria moaned.

"That feels so good," she murmured, opening her eyes a moment later to look up at him. "Promise me next year we can just stay in our sweats and just eat a gallon of chunky monkey."

Ezra chuckled again, unable to stop smiling. He hadn't really been able to all night, even when Hardy and Adriana immediately had to bow out to go pick up his sister. "We can do whatever you want to, babe."

"Just keep doing that," Aria sighed as Ezra worked his thumb against her heel. He continued the movements for a few moments more before grabbing her other foot and removing the high heel. He placed it on the floor and began to rub her foot, rousing her slightly from the ache of the pressure on her foot, though it soon began to wane.

"Did you have a good day today?" He asked.

Aria's eyes opened and her brow furrowed, slightly confused. "How could you even ask me that?"

Ezra chuckled. "I meant in the general sense. With your friends and your family."

"Oh," Aria replied. She was quiet for a moment, and Ezra wondered if she hadn't fallen asleep. "Yeah, it was good. Although, now that I think about it, I think Hanna almost let slip what the party was for tonight. Spencer kicked her when we stopped for coffee on our way back."

Ezra laughed. "I'm glad you had a good day."

Aria turned over a moment later, squirming out of her sweater and crossing her legs in his lap. She rested her arms across her torso, staring down at him. "What you said tonight…I've never had someone say something so brutally honest to me."

Ezra blushed, looking down at the floor. "I'm glad you liked it. I was nervous as hell and it wasn't at all what I had planned."

"Really?" Aria asked.

He shook his head, looking back up at her. "I had this whole speech written, and then I got nervous and panicked, and completely forgot."

"Can I see it?" Aria asked.

Ezra considered it for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his vest and pulling out the sheet of paper. He unfolded it and then handed it over to her. She stared at him for a moment longer, and then turned her attention to the words written on it.

_Aria, _

_It seems from day one, I have been chasing everything against the odds, to be with you. And I can't imagine having it any other way. _

_I remember when I met you, I knew you were going to give me a run for my money. Here was this brilliant, beautiful, well-traveled girl who had her feet on the ground, even if her head was in the clouds a little bit. I'm not quite sure how there was ever a part of me that wanted to get away from you, and I can't see a life that doesn't have you in it now. _

_There was a time when someone had left a note on the bulletin board in my room, that simply said "don't you feel the dreams I write in the palm of your hand?" I took that paper down on my last day in the dorms and swore to myself that one day I would use it. Now, I'm writing you a letter on the back of it, with just one question. _

_Do you feel the dreams I write in the palm of your hand?_

_We've certainly had our ups and downs in the last few months, and Jackie took her tole on our relationship, but there was a time when I had wondered, not long before I met you, if there was anyone out there that was really going to captivate my senses the way that I thought she had. They always say that love takes you by surprise, but up until I met you, I really had no understanding of what that meant. _

_I was built up into this person who lived by a proper set of rules, and never did anything wrong. I was the poster boy for perfectionism. I had the perfect grades, and I did everything to stay out of trouble. And then I met you, and apparently it was karma coming back to get me for doing everything right for so long, because I've known every step of the way that we were wrong in some of the choices we made, especially those that kept our relationship together. _

_And I don't regret a single one of them. _

_I know that one day, thirty or fourty years from now, our children will read this and have heard this story over and over again, and we'll lecture them repeatedly about why such a relationship shouldn't be tolerated, regardless of how hypocritical it may be, coming from the two of us. Even so, I'm excited for that day to come. I can't tell you what it means to me to have you in my life. _

_And now, you're eighteen. The day I've been waiting for since the day I met you. It seems in the last year, it's become the day I waited for you to be able to come back to me again. For it to be just us again. _

_So will you marry me? _

Tears filled Aria's eyes once more as she looked up at him, holding the paper tightly in her hands. She took several deep breaths as she set the paper aside, and then pulled her legs out of his lap, moving closer to the end of the bed. When she reached him, she straddled his hips and pulled him into her, kissing him passionately. Ezra slipped his hands around her back, running them up and down against the fabric of her dress.

"You're just so damn perfect," she muttered against his lips as she pulled on the buttons of his vest. She paused for a moment when she had gotten the buttons free, staring into his eyes. "What'd I do to get here with you?"

Ezra reached a hand up to cup her face. "I'm far from it, but I often wonder the same about you."

"You just…." Aria stared down at him wordlessly. After a long moment, she realized that the words she was searching for weren't going to come, because they didn't exist. There weren't enough words to describe her feelings for him, for their entire relationship. But if she couldn't tell him how she felt, then she would show him.

She moved her hands to the buttons of his dress shirt, at first carefully unbuttoning one by one, but her trembling hands soon became too frustrating for her, and she gripped the insides of his shirt, yanking it apart and sending buttons flying in the process. Meanwhile, Ezra tugged the zipper of her dress down her body, moving his hands back up her bare back long enough to unclasp her bra before he reached up and pulled the straps of her dress and her bra straps down her shoulders.

They turned on the bed so that Aria was lying back in the position she had been previously, and Ezra pulled her dress down her body, revealing inch after inch of naked flesh to himself as he did so. He groaned gutturally as his eyes fell upon her bare breasts and leaned down to take one of her nipples into his mouth as his hands reached her waist. He released the fabric long enough to toss her bra to the side while Aria's fingers dug into his hair, holding him against her body. He sucked her nipple as his hands curled around the fabric of her dress once more and into the inside of her panties giving one firm tug to slide them down off her hips.

Reluctantly, he released her nipple so that he could pull back far enough to pull her panties and dress from her body. Once they were off, he carelessly tossed them to the side, only for Aria to tug him back up to her so that she could push his shirt off his body. Once it had been tossed aside with her dress, her hands quickly moved to his shorts while his attention turned to her other breast. As he suckled the previously untouched skin, Aria hastily unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans before reaching a hand into them and gripping his hardening penis. Ezra growled, instinctively pressing himself into her grip. Not to be outdone though, his left hand made it's way between her legs and he shoved two fingers inside of her, quickly curling them up against her g-spot. Aria nearly screamed at the swift movement, buckling under him from the wave of pleasure that shot through her body. Ezra continued the movements even as she released her grip on him, causing Aria to squirm and buck her hips up against him as she struggled underneath him to keep her cool.

When she could no longer take the torturous movements and his fingers were coated with her liquids, she finally managed to take the upper hand. She knew well enough to know how he could get when he was sure he had control. She used the opportunity to flip them and removed his hand from inside of her, bringing it to her lips. She licked them clean, causing Ezra to moan at the sight of it. The revenge torture was only made worse by her grinding her hips against his erection, coating the outside of his shorts and the tip of his erection with her liquids. She knew he desperately wanted her to just take him in that moment, which only empowered her more.

It was not to be though, as she moved off of him and pulled the last of his clothing off his body, leaving him naked in front of her. Their eyes locked as she wrapped her hand around the base of his erect penis and stroked him a few times, staring him dead in the eyes. With her free hand, she reached down and began to finger herself, rubbing her forefinger and middle finger against her clitoris. She moaned, letting her head drop back slightly as she rocked her hips into the movement of her fingers. She chuckled when she heard Ezra growl, and lifted her head back up to look him in the eyes.

She leaned down in front of him, lowering herself far enough to take him into her mouth, and began to suck on just the tip of his penis. She could feel him shaking under her, and whether it was from the feeling of what she was doing, the sight of it, or both, she knew he didn't have the strength to fight the pleasure.

Her hands moved in synchronicity, stroking him in the timed circular movements of her fingers against her clitoris. The more he trembled beneath her, the faster her movements became. She could tell that he was trying to muster the strength to stop her, which only drove her to suck harder on him, causing him to struggle even more. She knew she had him when he went rigid beneath her. A moment later, warm liquid squirted into her mouth in thick ropes. She swallowed quickly and came up off of him, grinning.

Ezra's hands quickly tugged her up the bed, digging his hands into her hair as he kissed her roughly. He gripped her leg tightly to his body while he rolled them over. Once Aria was flat on her back, his hand came up to meet hers, curling them together and moving them inside of her so that her own fingers were moving inside of her like his had been earlier. They stared into each others eyes and he watched as she squirmed under him, moaning as her own fingers elicited waves of pleasure from her. As his penis began to harden again, he moved their fingers in faster and harder movements, causing Aria to cry out in loud moans as his fingers massaged the nub inside of her until her orgasm hit her, pulling a loud scream from her.

Ezra pressed his lips against hers, trying to quiet her as he pulled her against and thrust into her. The movement only caused her to cry into his mouth again, shaking as she held tightly to him while her walls spasmed around him. He continued thrusting in and out of her, slow at first so that she could catch her breath.

When she had calmed enough, he turned her flat on her back once more and pressed her hands up high above her head, gripping them tightly as his hips ground into hers in quick, rough movements. Their lips never left each other's bodies, constantly finding another inch of skin to lick, suck, or bite as he thrust into her in increasingly powerful movements until she reached her second orgasm. He joined her quickly thereafter, dropping gently against her for a few moments as they both gasped for air.

When he was sure his limbs wouldn't simply fade into nothing, he turned them over slowly, quickly realizing Aria wasn't quite yet ready to be away from him yet. He could hear her ragged breathing slowly starting to even out as she traced lazy circles against his chest, finding herself somewhere between ecstasy and half asleep.

"Love you," he whispered softly, too breathless to try and string together any other words.

Aria was quiet for a few moments, leaving him to wonder again if she'd fallen asleep. And then he heard the following words.

"Best damn birthday ever."


	27. Words Like Music In My Ear

**A/N:** Just to make a note of this here, I'm not sure if my English teacher ever actually signed the slips himself, but when I was on the debate team as a freshman, I knew upperclassmen who ducked out of class early on days when we left for out-of-town meets to get their speeches done.

**Disclaimer: **I realize how badly I suck at remembering these, but I actually **do **own the lyrics that Holden and Aria sing in this chapter. I simply couldn't find the right song to fit their situation, so I did what I do best, and decided to write my own. Hope you enjoy. :)

_Chapter 27_

_Words Like Music In My Ear_

Aria yawned as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, walking towards her mother's classroom. She'd been up late studying for the test she had coming in calculus after a long rehearsal with Holden while Ezra had been at Hollis grading papers. She hadn't meant for him to stay so long, but they were still struggling to get the harmony right on the song they were singing for the expo. As stressed as she was by the tests coming up, she kept reminding herself that in a matter of a few weeks, she would no longer have to worry about them. At least until the following January.

She sighed at the stares she earned, walking past a group of freshmen girls and into Ella's classroom. Talk of her and Ezra's engagement had quickly filled the school in the past week, along with dozens of stories about them – some true, but mostly false. The general focus that had centered on her had been the ring that hadn't left her body since Ezra had placed it there nearly six days earlier, aside from when she showered. Even when she had PE, she put it on a gold necklace that her mother had gotten her for her birthday with a locket on it.

Still, there had been the occasional moment when girls stared at her like she was from a different planet. Why that was, she had no clue. There were people of other ethnicities that went to her school who were already married because it was normal in their culture. The fact that she was engaged to someone she'd been with for nearly two years didn't seem as crazy to her as everyone else seemed to be making it out to be.

Ella looked up from her desk as Aria stepped into the room and chuckled. Aria was dressed in a grey dress with colorful foliage with yellow heels, but the light jacket she was wearing over it was what gave away her exhaustion. It was slightly rumpled, and hanging off of Aria's right shoulder.

Aria dropped her things beside her desk and then slid into her seat before crossing her arms over the top of the desk and dropping her head on top of them, letting her hair fall like a curtain over her eyes.

"Long night?" Ella asked as she grabbed a cup of coffee off her desk and walked over to Aria's.

"Ezra worked late," Aria muttered. "Didn't realize Holden had been at the house so long. Should've eaten earlier."

"I'll take that as a yes," Ella replied as she settled the cup on Aria's desk, being sure to make the movement audible. Aria looked up a moment later, confused, and then looked up at Ella.

"Oh you are a godsend," Aria murmured, reaching for the cup of coffee. "While you're feeling generous, will you write me a slip to get out early and go home to take a nap before the show?"

Ella chuckled, walking back over to the front of the room. "I don't think so."

Aria frowned. "C'mon! I saw Mr. Anderson do it for the kids on the debate team a whole bunch of times this year!"

"Those kids were working on their arguments, had high marks, **and **free passes on those occasions," Ella explained. "You just want to go home and sleep."

"Are you saying I'm not smart enough?" Aria whined.

"I'm not saying that at all," Ella said. "What I am saying is finals are in under two weeks, and you need to have as much time to study and learn everything as you can get. Sleeping instead of sitting in class is not going to help you."

Aria huffed, scowling at her mother. "You suck dirty lollipops."

Ella's eyes widened at Aria, though there was an amused look on her face. "Aria!"

Aria sighed, though she kept pouting. "Sorry. It just sucks. I'm tired."

"And I'm sure once you're fully awake and have that caffeine flowing through your veins, you will be fine," Ella said promisingly. She walked into her office and retrieved a bag off the desk inside it before walking back into the classroom. She walked over to Aria's desk and placed a bag on it.

Aria's brow furrowed as she grabbed the bag and pulled it towards herself. "Apple chips?"

Ella nodded. "And Bananas. Apples are rich in all kinds of good stuff to keep you awake better than caffeine, and bananas have vitamin b6, which is supposed to keep your mood lifted."

Aria looked up at Ella with the same skeptical look and then narrowed her eyes at her mother. "You've been playing Fruit Ninja during meetings again, haven't you?"

Ella shook her head at Aria, returning to her desk once more. "Open A Tale Of Two Cities and get reading," she responded.

Aria smirked, grabbing an apple chip from the bag. She took a bite out of it and reached into her bag, pulling out her book. She was glad to know that she and Ella were fully back into their roles as mother and daughter as they had been before Ezra had come along.

_.,.  
><em>_When I'm trying to get close to you  
><em>_I'm having trouble getting through  
><em>_.,._

True to Ella's promise, Aria felt more awake by the time her second class of the day had passed, and the rest of her day passed in a similar haze as it had been in the past few weeks. Her teachers were all stressing the importance of finals and studying. It was something she didn't entirely understand, given that most of the time, teachers seemed to have a grasp on who would be graduating and who wouldn't be, based on grades.

By the end of the school day, she had a studying schedule worked out for the next few days, thanks to Spencer rearranging their group of friends' schedules to fit in as much work as possible. The one thing Aria was grateful for was the decision Spencer had made to at least try and make a few games out of studying instead of spending the entire next fourteen days stuck in textbooks.

She groaned, shoving her last textbook into her locker before hitching her bag up her shoulder and walking through the hallways, out into the parking lot of the school. She had two hours until she had to be back, and she was determined to spend them doing something other than thinking about school or all the other things stressing her out in the recent weeks.

"Aria!"

She looked up as she opened her car door. A moment later, the person calling her name became clear, and she smiled as Holden walked up to her.

"Hey," she greeted as he reached her. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to know what time you wanted to meet up here," he asked as he reached her.

"Spencer said everyone has to be here at five," Aria replied. "I'm gonna come back at four-thirty to help her get everything set up, but don't feel rushed."

Holden nodded. "I've got a study group going until five. You think she'll mind if I'm a few minutes late?"

Aria shook her head. "I'll tell her when I get back here later."

Holden walked away a few moments later, and Aria got into her car, closing the door once she was settled inside. She started it and pulled on her seatbelt before pulling out of the parking space. She drove through the parking lot to the exit and made her way away from the high school. The further away she got, the more the weight of finals seemed to drift off her shoulders, if only a little bit.

She arrived at Hollis a short while later and walked into the English department. She walked to Ezra's office, but stopped outside the doorway. Her brow furrowed as she listened to the raised voices coming from inside.

"_You didn't __**honestly **__believe that Ella wouldn't tell me about you proposing, did you?" _

Aria sighed heavily, turning on her heel and walking into the office. She dropped her bag into the chair next to the door loudly enough to cause Byron to turn on his heel.

"Why are you **still **making a thing out of being mad at us?" She said angrily as she pushed the door shut. "It's been eight months! I'm graduating in less than five seconds, and you're still making this about last year!"

Byron shook his head at her. The anger was clear on his face, though his voice was dangerously low. "One day you're going to realize how stupid this choice is, Aria."

Aria huffed. "No, I'm not. And I'm eighteen now, so like it or not, you can't make me change my mind."

"Get out of my office," Ezra said when Byron and Aria only continued to stare each other down.

Byron stared at Aria for a few moments longer before turning on his heel and exiting the room. He pulled the door shut behind him rather loudly, causing Aria to cringe slightly at the sound.

She widened her eyes at Ezra giving him a 'what the hell' expression. "What was going on here?"

Ezra shook his head, leaning back against his desk. "I don't even know. He was in here when I got back from my last class and started grilling me about us. And then you showed up."

Aria huffed, shaking her head. "I really wish he'd either get on board with us or leave us alone."

Ezra walked over to her and grabbed her hands, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "It's just a few more weeks, and then we'll be gone, and you won't have to deal with him anymore."

Aria tilted her head back, forcing a smile onto her face. "This year feels so different from this time last year."

Ezra nodded, walking over to the couch and pulling Aria along with him. He sunk down onto it and pulled her onto his lap. "Last year we were in New York, if I remember correctly." He considered it for a moment and then nodded. "Monday's Addy's birthday."

Aria raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought you said that you guys always went to the theatre for her birthday."

Ezra nodded. "We usually do. They must've changed plans because of the end of term and getting married. This semester _was _pretty busy."

"You really think she's just going to cancel any kind of party and spend the day at home this year?" Aria asked. "She's turning 21."

Ezra chuckled, shaking his head. "No, I imagine she'll probably do something small. But getting drunk won't do her much good on a week day, especially so close to finals. I'm sure she'll insist on doing something once we're all settled in New York next month."

Aria sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder. "Is it really that close? I get so exhausted just thinking about everything."

Ezra chuckled again, brushing his lips against the side of her forehead. "Just think of it this way: in just over two weeks, you'll have nothing to worry about until August."

Aria lifted her head up, resting her upper arm against the couch above his shoulder as she gave him another skeptical look. "You sound very sure of yourself about all of this."

"Just have a little faith," Ezra replied.

Before Aria could say anything else, the office door opened, and a female she didn't recognize stood in the doorway. Her mouth was open, but she said nothing, looking slightly confused.

"Siobhan," Ezra said, slightly startled by the interruption. "Is something wrong?"

"Did I interrupt?" She asked nervously.

Ezra shook his head, sitting up a bit straighter. "What's up?"

"I'm leaving after this semester," she explained. "Actually transferring to Columbia in New York, and I know that I probably won't get the chance to before the end of the year, so I wanted to come by and thank you."

Ezra nodded, smiling back at her. "Thanks, Shiv. That means a lot."

She nodded back at him before turning and walking away a moment later, leaving the door open.

"That was really sweet," Aria murmured.

Ezra nodded again. "I never expected to hear that. I was just doing my job."

Aria shook her head at him, brushing her fingers over his fringe. "It's every teacher's job to help their student in a time of crisis. You were more than that; I could see it in her eyes. She respects you for being there."

"How can you be so sure?" Ezra commented.

Aria smiled at him. "Because I know you, and I also know other teachers, both here and at the high school. Not every teacher is willing to go the extra mile. Its like some of them forget why they started teaching in the first place."

"How do you mean?" Ezra asked.

Aria shrugged, moving over on the couch into the space between Ezra and the arm of the couch, though she left her legs resting in his lap. "I mean that its like they just go to work and do the minimal amount of engaging that they have to do to get by. And then there's the opposite kind of person, who puts all their focus into the students and making sure everyone gets what's going on."

Ezra shook his head. "That honestly saddens me."

Aria shrugged, chewing her bottom lip as she stared up at him. "It should sadden a lot more people than it does."

"Who should be sobbing?"

They both looked up to see Adriana and Hardy standing in the doorway. Aria and Ezra gaped at Adriana for a long moment, surprised.

"What?" She asked.

"You cut your hair," Aria replied.

Adriana shrugged. "I felt like doing something different. It's just a bit of layering and all that good stuff."

"What's up?" Ezra asked after a brief moment of awkward silence.

"We were gonna head up to see mom for the weekend," Hardy replied, inciting a smirk on Adriana's face.

"We were wondering if you guys were planning on coming up," she finished.

Ezra shrugged, looking over at Aria. "Do you want to go after the show?"

"If you want. It beats sitting around all weekend with my nose in a textbook." Aria replied.

"Do you have flashcards?" Adriana asked.

Aria giggled, nodding. "Spencer insisted on making them."

"Great. We can swap tomorrow and quiz each other instead of reading all day." Adriana said happily. Her brow furrowed a moment later. "Wait, what show?"

"The expo is at the high school tonight," Ezra said. "Spencer talked Aria into playing this year again."

"That I have to see," Hardy teased. "Are you gonna have a Pitch Perfect moment?"

Aria rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. "No. I'm not going to vomit on stage."

_.,.  
><em>_It's been a long day, and I just wanna hide away  
><em>_.,._

Aria squeezed her hands into fists as she stood next to Holden, inhaling and exhaling in deep breaths. She wasn't quite sure what she was so panicked about. She always did well with performances, but that never seemed to stop the panic that filled her in the moments before stepping onto the stage.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Holden murmured.

Aria nodded, inhaling a deep breath. She held it for a few moments before exhaling softly.

"You think anyone will understand what the song is about?" He asked.

Aria shrugged, looking over at him with a slight smirk. "The people who know us will. Everyone else will either hate us or think we're nuts."

Holden chuckled, shaking his head. "You can't ever just do something clearly, can you?"

Aria rolled her eyes, smiling. "Now where's the fun in that?"

"Doesn't matter right now," Spencer said as she walked up behind them. She rested each of her hands in the centers of their backs. "You're up."

Aria and Holden exchanged a look before waiting until the band that had just finished to exit the stage before they walked out. She walked over to the keyboard set up on the stage and sat down while Holden sat a few feet away, holding an acoustic guitar. They both adjusted the microphones in front of them slightly before Aria began to play the introductory notes. She looked out at the audience for a few moments, searching the crowd for familiar faces. It didn't take long to spot her mother and Mike, near the doorway. She was surprised to see her father standing nearby, though she couldn't really tell if he was actually interested or genuinely caught up with whatever was on his phone screen. As she began to sing the first few words, she finally spotted Ezra and all of her friends sitting in one of the rows closer to the front. Hardy and Adriana were a few rows behind them.

She looked over at Holden a bit nervously and then opened her mouth, singing the opening words.

"_you could've written a novel_

_On the ways to break me down_

_With every piece of us falling,_

_I don't hear a sound…" _

With a sense of finality, the hard first strum of Holden's guitar came, and a few measures later, she opened her mouth to sing once more.

"_I can't remember day one  
><em>'_cause I was far too young  
><em>_But I remember so many in between  
><em>_You said you'd always  
><em>_Be there for me…"_

She could feel Byron's eyes burning a hole through her, but as she often did, strength came from the words running out of her mouth, and she felt a sense of pride that he was hearing how she felt.

"_I remember when I thought  
><em>_That those things would never change  
><em>_That you would never walk away  
><em>_I still remember that day  
><em>_When everything changed…"_

The chorus kicked in quickly, and she could see the surprise in peoples faces as Holden began to sing with her, though she didn't know if it was because of the words or because of their voices.

"_it seems you're always just one foot out the door  
><em>_Standing there waiting to come back for more  
><em>_And you know every way to fire me up inside  
><em>_The same way you cut every vein In hopes I'll die_

_And all I wanna know is when you're gonna leave  
><em>_Shut the door behind you and just let me be  
><em>_Cause I'm already on my way out, I'm ready to leave  
><em>_I think that you should go now, there's nothing left to see…"_

Aria gulped as the first verse ended, and she could hear cheering among the students and faculty in the audience. It wasn't something she expected, and while it wasn't the whole room, there was apparently a clear agreement for some people and what the words meant to them.

She inhaled a deep breath as the second verse started, hoping that Holden could hold his own. She had easily figured out what the words meant for him when they'd written it, but she still couldn't believe he was actually singing it in front of other people, and more to it – to his father.

"_I remember the first time  
><em>_You said I wasn't enough  
><em>_Just how bad it hurt  
><em>_When you left me standing by myself_

_I remember the ache in that silence  
><em>_and how it seemed it would never end  
><em>_I remember that you said  
><em>_You'd never speak to me again_

_I still remember that day  
><em>_When everything faded away…"_

The chorus kicked up again, and Aria could feel the synergy between she and Holden strengthening even more than it already had been. She smiled at him as their eyes met for a brief moment, and then she inhaled a sharp breath as the small piano solo she'd written for herself came up. She hadn't gotten it right in days and now would be the worst time to screw up.

Before she knew it, it had passed, and she could hear the words coming out of her mouth before she realized that they were.

"_You're waiting for a crash-landing  
><em>_For someone to tell you I screwed up…"_

Her voice faded off at the same moment as Holden's came back in, and for the first time she felt wholly confident in their performance.

"_you're waiting for the day  
><em>_I'll tell you I was wrong…"_

Their eyes met once more, and he nodded at her, apparently understanding the way she felt as their voices joined together once more in a bittersweet harmony.

"_that's never gonna happen  
><em>_This isn't where I belong  
><em>_You're waiting on a day  
><em>_That's never going to come_

_It seems you're always just one foot out the door  
><em>_Standing there waiting to come back for more  
><em>_And you know every way to fire me up inside  
><em>_The same way you cut every vein in hopes I'll die_

_And all I wanna know is when you're gonna leave  
><em>_Shut the door behind you, and just let me be  
><em>_Cause I'm already on my way out, I'm ready to leave  
><em>_I think that you should go now, there's nothing left to see_

_(nothing left to see, nothing left to see)  
><em>_(nothing left here for us, never gonna be)…."_

Their voices faded off with the final notes from their instruments, and they both stood a few moments later as applause and quite a few cheers filled the room. Aria grinned at Holden, and hugged him when she reached him, before the exited off the stage together.

Once they were out of the view of the crowd, Spencer dashed up to them and wrapped them both in a tight, excited hug. They both laughed, hugging her back.

"That was so amazing!" Spencer said when she finally let go of both of them. "I can't believe you **wrote **that!"

Aria looked over at Holden and shrugged, still smiling. "Well, y'know. When inspiration strikes."

"That was so amazing though," Spencer insisted, shaking her head at them. "You seriously have no idea. And all the people out there…Holy crap, Aria."

Aria chuckled. "Well I'm glad I can leave my final Rosewood Expo with a stamp of approval."

"Most definitely," Spencer replied.

Aria and Holden walked away from her a few moments later and exited the backstage, making their way out into the hallway outside of the auditorium. If they wanted to see the rest of the acts, they'd have to re-enter through one of the doors and find the seats reserved for the performers at the front of the auditorium. Apparently having them exit was easier for when friends and family wanted to praise performers, instead of crowding up the backstage like the year before.

Aria was quickly greeted by Hanna and Emily as she walked out into the hallway, and happily accepted hugs from both of them while they talked her ear off about how amazing she and Holden were.

She chuckled, stepping past them a few moments later. As she did, the auditorium doors opened, and her mother exited, quickly followed by Mike, Ezra, Hardy, and Adriana. She couldn't help but laugh at their praise. It was sweet, but unneeded. She had more pride for speaking the truth in a manner where Byron was forced to hear it than anyone else could give her.

_.,.  
><em>_Make sure to keep my distance  
><em>_Say I love you when you're not listening  
><em>_.,._

Aria yawned as she stepped out of Ezra's jeep, stretching her muscles as she raised her arms up over her head and groaned. She sighed as several bones popped, making her feel slightly more awake.

As her arms dropped back to her sides, the front door of the home in front of them opened, and Serena stepped outside, looking quite gleeful. Aria smiled as she walked around the car and caught up in stride with Ezra. They climbed the stairs and were quickly enveloped into tight hugs.

"It's so good to see you," Serena said happily. "It's been too long."

Ezra chuckled. "Mom, we just saw you on skype two days ago."

Serena shook her head at him, narrowing her eyes at him as she hugged Aria. "You know that's not the same."

Ezra rolled his eyes, though he still smiled. After a long moment, he looked around, and his brow furrowed. "Where's the happy couple?"

"They went to sign the lease on their place," Serena told him as she stepped over to the door and opened it. "Which begs the question-"

"I called the building manager the other night and said we'd be up sometime soon to sign the papers. I'll call him in the morning," Ezra told her as they entered the house.

Serena nodded, though it was clear that her attention was on Aria, and more importantly, on the ring around her finger. Ezra looked at Aria, and she smirked back at him, clearly nervous.

"Mom, I think you're starting to scare Aria." He chuckled.

Serena shook her head, quickly releasing Aria's hands. "I'm so sorry, dear! My excitement got the best of me."

Aria smiled, shaking her head. "It's okay. I get distracted by how pretty the ring is sometimes."

Serena turned and walked into the dining room, leaving Aria and Ezra standing there for a few moments before they followed her into the dining room.

Ezra's brow furrowed as he watched his mother moving dirty dishes onto a carrying tray. "Have company mom?"

She looked up at him, nodding. "In fact I did."

Ezra opened his mouth to say something, only for his jaw to drop further with no sound coming out when Aria dug her nails into the side of his arm. Serena finished picking up the dishes, and walked into the kitchen.

Ezra turned to look at Aria, glaring slightly at her. "What was that for!?"

Aria glared back at him. "Your mom is obviously happy. **Let** her be happy."

Ezra clenched his jaw, frustrated. He was silent for a few moments before reluctantly conceding, and nodding.

Serena returned to the room a few moments later and waved a hand at the couch. "Sit. Talk. I have apple fritters in the oven."

Aria walked over to a chair and sat down, tugging Ezra long behind her. They both sunk down into chairs, and Serena poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. It was quiet for a few moments before the phone rang on the table. Serena picked it up and lifted it to her ear.

"Hello?" She was quiet for a few moments. "Yeah, he's right here." She offered the phone to Ezra. "It's your sister."

He took it from her and lifted it to his ear. "What's up?" He nodded a few times as he listened to the other end of the phone. "Alright, I'll be right here."

He ended the call a few moments later and then returned the phone to the table before pushing up from the table.

"What's going on?" Serena asked.

Ezra shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Boxes they need to be moved out of Hardy's parents. He's filing paper work with at the courthouse at the end of the month and said that if he doesn't get everything out now, he'll never see it again."

"And your brother can't carry boxes on his own?" Serena questioned.

Ezra shrugged. "I guess I'll find out when I get there." He leaned down and kissed Aria's head. "I promise to try and not be gone all night."

He turned and walked out of the house a few moments later, leaving Aria and Serena sitting at the table alone. Aria sat there for several long moments before she pushed up from the table. "I'm gonna go make a cappuccino."

Serena nodded, reaching for the book resting on the shelf behind her. Aria walked into the kitchen and grabbed a fresh coffee mug. She placed it under the machine and then punched in the ingredients before turning around and leaning against the counter. A few moments later, the oven beeped. She walked over to it and grabbed an oven mitt from where several of them rested on top of the stove. She pulled it on and opened the oven, reaching in to grab the apple fritters.

"Oh dear, you didn't have to do that," Serena said as she walked up behind Aria. She looked down at the pastries and then reached over and turned the oven off.

Aria shrugged, removing the oven mitt. She walked back over to the cappuccino machine and picked up the cup when the machine had turned off. She lifted it to her lips and inhaled the scent, waiting a few moments before she attempted to take a sip.

"Is Ezra really as angry as he seems about me dating as he seems?" Serene asked.

Aria gulped, surprised at the candidness of Serena's question. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of how exactly to answer.

Serena shook her head, heading back through to the dining room. "Nevermind, I shouldn't have asked that."

Aria followed her back into the dining room. "No, no. It's ju-…" She inhaled a deep breath, shaking her head at herself. "I don't know specifically how he feels, to be honest. I know that he's frustrated by it all, but I think he's just feeling extra protective."

Serena nodded. She looked down at her book for a few moments. "You know the movie Are We There Yet?"

Aria nodded, taking another sip of her cappuccino. "My brother loved that movie."

"That was Ezra," Serena replied. "There were a few dates, a few years after the divorce. But every time I thought it might be alright to introduce Ezra and Addy, he did everything humanly possible to kill it all. After a few months, I gave up. My kids are my life, and they're what's important to me. I always figured one day Ezra would stop thinking all men were evil, and I'd be able to start over."

Aria sat back down at the table, curling her legs up under her, pretzel style. "I don't know much about parents dating because it's only been about five minutes, but if God forbid I ever ended up where my mom was seeing someone I barely knew and I was creating the problem, I would hope that my mom would put me in my place." She paused for a moment, taking another drink of her cappuccino. "I love Ezra, and I hope that comes through when I say all of this, but he's otherwise involved now too, so why should you be alone? And besides, if he starts making all the problems, I'll give him a swift kick in the pants."

Serena chuckled, reaching over and patting Aria's hand. "You're too sweet."

Aria shrugged, shaking her head. "Adriana's happy, Ezra seems pretty happy too. Why shouldn't you be?"

"You make a compelling argument," Serena said. "I guess we'll just have to see how the chips fall when they reach the ground."


	28. I Think I Love You Better Now

**A/N: **So, I know there's this whole thing about Aria attending prom, but given the way this story has gone from day one, it felt like doing that would betray the limits this story has had. That said, there are plenty of parties to come!

_Chapter 28_

_I Think I Love You Better Now_

Aria chewed her fingernails as she looked around the sitting room. There were boxes everywhere, filled with clothes, pictures, and things of the like. Finals were starting in barely eighteen hours, but all she could think about was the fact that in a little more than a week, a truck was going to be sitting in her parking space, getting filled with all of her worldly possessions.

The door opened behind her, and she turned on her heel to see Ezra walking in. He looked up from the book he was holding in his hand and smiled at her. "Done studying?"

Aria laughed haughtily. "Not even remotely. I was just taking five minutes to panic over all the boxes."

Ezra walked over to her and looked down at the table. His brow furrowed at the lack of space. "You know, we can send some of the boxes with Dre and Hardy when they move next week."

"Isn't their place going to be cramped enough as it is?" Aria asked.

Ezra raised his eyebrows at her. "They bought a penthouse in Manhattan without so much as a second thought. I don't think they even considered all the space they're going to have."

"I just can't believe they made that kind of leap without so much as a second thought."

Ezra shrugged. "They're rich. My sister is literally living her dream."

Aria smiled. "Well that's good. At least someone is."

Ezra's brow furrowed. "Is there something you're not happy about?"

Aria shook her head quickly. "No, I just meant sometimes getting to achieve those dreams feels so far away."

Ezra shook his head. He sat down on the only clear chair, and pulled her over to him, looping his arms around her waist. "You will live your dreams. Don't rush life."

"I just feel like I'm light years behind you guys," Aria sighed.

Ezra exhaled a heavy breath. "Aria, you're moving just as fast as anyone else. Just because you're only going to be starting college doesn't mean that you're any less worthy or smart or about a million other characteristics and traits."

Aria stared at the floor, pouting. Ezra reached a hand up to her cheek, making her look at him.

"Don't frown, you'll get wrinkles," he teased. "You're never too old for that to start."

Aria scowled at him. "Very funny."

Ezra chuckled. "Look, there is no use in you being panicked or upset over the fact that you can't magically make yourself five years older. Focus on your finals, and graduation."

Aria wrinkled her nose. "Are you serious? Have you seen those gowns for graduation? They're hideous."

Ezra's smile widened, happy that she seemed to be shifting off the subject of her age. "I'm sure you'll find some way to dress it up."

"I'm not sure that's possible," Aria sighed as she sat down on his knee. "And my mom's gonna want to take pictures. I'm nauseated just thinking about it."

"Have you picked out an outfit yet?" Ezra asked.

Aria shook her head. "Hanna and Emily want to go shopping on Thursday after finals are finished. I've looked at a few things online, but I'm not sold on anything just yet."

"What about the dresses you looked at for prom?" He asked.

Aria wrinkled her nose. "Too formal. I'm thinking something summery. And besides, I returned the dress when I decided not to go."

Ezra nodded slowly. "Begs the question. Why didn't you?"

Aria shrugged. "It felt like too much of an obstacle. You go to a dance to have fun, and it just would've felt like drama for us to go together, and I didn't want to go alone."

"I would've gone with you if you really wanted to," Ezra told her.

"I know," Aria said, nodding. "But I had a great time in New York. And I don't regret not going."

Ezra chuckled. "You **enjoyed** that weekend?"

Aria grinned. "Hardy on drugs? Oh yeah."

_Aria crossed her arms as she watched Adriana help Hardy over to the couch. They'd gotten back after she'd gotten to bed the night before, and the only thing Ezra had said when he'd gotten home was that they'd gotten caught up at the hospital. _

"_What exactly did you __**do**__?" She asked as Hardy settled onto the couch. _

"_The ladder suddenly decided to collapse on the second step. I went head over teakettle." Hardy said. _

_Aria looked over at Ezra and Adriana as he came out of the kitchen and walked over to his sister. He handed her a cup of coffee. _

"_So then, how did you two get out?" Aria asked, pointing to Ezra and Adriana. _

"_Val moved the ladder and then I held onto the sides until I could drop," Ezra said. "And then I made Dre jump."_

"_And then he almost dropped me," Adriana said, if not a bit angrily. _

"_Oh please your feet were three inches from the floor." Ezra argued. "At most you would've landed on your bum." _

_Aria chuckled, shaking her head at them. "I'm sorry I missed it all." _

"_No, you should be sorry you missed Hardy after they gave him Hydrocodone last night for the pain," Ezra said. "I'm pretty sure he had a 'Lets Talk About Sex' solo on the car ride home." _

_Adriana rolled her eyes at him. "C'mon Ezra. At least get the song right. It was S&M." _

Aria looked up as the door opened, having forced herself to return to her studying even though she was pretty sure her brain was ready to explode with all of the knowledge she was forcing in.

"If your head is in those books, get it out."

Aria chuckled, turning a page in her history textbook. "I was already slacking today. I can't afford to take any more time off unless I want to fail all my finals."

Adriana walked around the hallway carrying several bags and a tray of coffees. She walked over to the coffee table and settled the coffee tray down before walking over to the table and closing Aria's textbook.

"Finals start tomorrow. You're going to overwork yourself and then be too stressed to think straight tomorrow morning," Adriana said. "Take a break from the books."

Aria sighed, looking up at Adriana. "If I don't study, I stress out about all the stuff we have to move."

"You should come with me to the humane society then," Adriana offered. "I'm trying to talk Hardy into getting a puppy, and I need to figure out options."

"Don't let her do it!" Ezra called out from the bedroom.

Aria giggled, moving off her chair. She and Adriana walked over to the bedroom and walked inside. She sat down on the bed while Adriana stayed near the door.

"C'mon Ezra, you know you want a dog too," Adriana said.

Ezra shook his head at her. "What I want is a clean apartment. We're both going to be working and Aria's going to be in school. Who's going to take care of the dog? And you're in the same position so I think that question applies to you too."

"You're such a Debbie-downer," Adriana told him. "You know as well as I do if Aria brought home a puppy you'd keep it."

"Which is why it's a good thing you have to officially adopt pet these days," Ezra responded.

_.,.  
><em>_When you're ready come and get it  
><em>_.,._

_3 days later_

Aria yawned as she pulled the door to Hardy and Adriana's loft shut behind her. It was barely 8 AM, but she didn't want to sit at home for three hours while Ezra was at Hollis. She had called Adriana after getting out of the shower to ask when her next exam was. Adriana had told her to come over with coffee.

Aria settled the coffees she was holding on the counter and dropped her bag onto the floor before picking up the coffees again. She crossed the room over to the balcony and stepped out onto it. Adriana was already out there fussing with a seam on the white summer dress she was wearing.

"Hey," Aria murmured as she stepped up next to her.

Adriana looked up at her distractedly before looking back down at her dress. "Hey."

"Something wrong?" Aria asked.

"Loose seam," Adriana murmured. "But it's all lace, and I don't want to rip it."

"Is it in the skirt?" Aria asked.

Adriana nodded, looking back at her once more. She glanced at Aria's outfit and sighed. Aria was dressed in a striped red tank top and black ripped shorts.

"I should've just worn shorts and a shirt like you."

Aria chuckled. She handed Adriana one of the coffees and then circled her before squatting down to look at the dress. "Can I turn this?"

Adriana nodded. Aria lifted the dress just high enough to see the seam and turned it slightly so she could see it in the direct sunlight.

"I can fix this," she said. "If you've got a sewing machine, I can do it in about five minutes."

Adriana's eyebrows raised excitedly. "Really? I've had this dress for six years. I was afraid I was gonna have to retire it."

Aria shook her head, wrinkling her nose dismissively. "Not at all. Is your sewing machine packed away yet?"

Adriana shook her head. "I actually just pulled it down last night to box up later today."

"Then go take this off and I'll fix it."

The two women re-entered the apartment, though Aria left the door open as she followed Adriana inside. She walked over to the counter where she'd left her bag and pulled her phone out. She had two more finals, both of which she'd be taking later in the day. After they were finished, she was required to attend a meeting along with the entire senior class on how the graduation ceremony would go the following weekend. Afterwards, they'd be required to meet up with the groups they'd been broken up into earlier in the week, and do a mock line-up. Afterwards, she'd be free until Friday night, during which her classmates had decided to have an unofficial Senior dinner. Aria had missed the real one along with half her class because of different plans. She knew that Spencer had arranged the plans for the most part, but it was bigger than just their group of friends.

She opened up her SocialPage app on her phone and tapped on the invite she'd gotten earlier in the week for the dinner. She stared at it.

_**Rosewood Class of 2012's Senior Dinner **__posted by __**Spencer Hastings**_

_Information: An impromptu 2__nd__ planning for the senior class dinner. It came to my attention that more than half our class was unable to attend the first dinner. This rescheduling is NOT required attendance, but everyone is welcome. _

_Schedule: 7-10 PM at Apple Wood Grill in Rosewood, PA_

Aria scrolled down into the comments and raised her eyebrows at the comments.

_Noel Kahn: __**Spencer, **__thanks for the reschedule! Most of the lacrosse_

_team missed the last dinner for State. _

_Sean Ackard: What he said. Glad we'll get a second chance for this!_

_Spencer Hastings: __**Noel **__and __**Sean**__, that's why we decided to do this :)_

_See you Friday night!_

"Alright, here we go." Adriana walked over to Aria and looked down at the screen of her phone. "What's going on in the world of social media?"

Aria settled her phone on the counter and took the dress from Adriana. She'd already turned it inside out and zipped it back up so Aria could see the seams properly. "Rescheduled senior dinner," she replied. "Where's your sewing machine?"

Adriana crossed the room and picked up the machine off the coffee table. She walked back over to Aria and removed the cover from the machine. There was already a spool of white thread loaded onto the machine, so she plugged it in and then settled the peddle on the floor. She checked to make sure the thread was properly set up before she lifted the dress up and checked the seam once more. She placed it onto the machine a moment later and picked through the options for the right seam line. Once she had it right, she tapped the peddle and let the needle run around a few times before checking the seam again. When she was sure it was right, she pushed down on it and pushed the dress forward until the seam was properly fixed. Afterwards, she snipped the seam and lifted the dress. She turned it right-side out and checked it from the outside before grinning and handing it back to Adriana.

"Good as new!" Aria said happily.

Adriana took the dress from her and checked the side of it. "I can't even tell where it was! Thanks for this. I'm gonna go change."

Aria nodded, turning back to the sewing machine. While Adriana changed, she packed the machine up and put the cover back on it before pushing it to the side of the counter so it was out of the way.

Adriana walked back over to her a few moments later. "So do you guys know when you're moving?"

Aria shrugged. "We got the key last weekend and we're allowed to start moving in on the first. We're also supposed to be out of our current place by then, so I think we're going to spend the last few days in New York. It's Ezra's birthday anyway."

"That's right!" Adriana said. "Try not to get in a car accident this time."

Aria chuckled. "I don't intend on it. I have no idea what to do for it though."

"Well I'm giving him money," Adriana said, shrugging. "Then he won't keep getting on me about paying him back for mom's birthday."

"Wait," Aria said a moment later. "What about Hardy? We haven't celebrated his?"

"It's at the end of August," Adriana explained. "Last year we kind-of just avoided it because I thought he was cheating on me and all of that. I think he and Ezra went out and drank."

Aria nodded. While she didn't enjoy recalling the previous summer, sometimes it was necessary. Even in all the time that had passed though, she couldn't help but continue to mentally kick herself for almost destroying her relationship.

"Anyway, we should do something in the Hamptons for Ezra's birthday," Adriana said.

Aria's brow furrowed, confused. "Wait, why the Hamptons?"

"We have a place there," Adriana said. "It's probably got a layer of dust a foot thick, but someone should use it. We should hang out there this summer."

Aria rolled her eyes and shook her head, chuckling at herself. "How did I not know until right this second that you guys have a home in the Hamptons? And seriously, how did I not figure it out?"

Adriana chuckled. "To be fair, we haven't really spent much time there in the last few years. I think I've been there twice in the last five years."

"Do you have pictures?" Aria asked.

Adriana nodded. She walked over to the boxes sitting on the floor against one wall and opened one of them. She pushed a few things around and then grabbed out a photo album before walking back over to Aria. Adriana settled the album on the counter and flipped the cover open.

"These are like ten years old, but the house looks the same," she explained. "And be aware; there's a bunch of pictures of Ezra in here."

Aria's eyebrows lifted curiously and a smirk crossed her face. She looked back down at the album and watched as Adriana flipped through pages, pointing out various pictures that had been taken at the estate. But even as Adriana pointed out the photos, Aria was more enthralled by the photos of a young Ezra. Among them was a group photo from a birthday party. Ezra stood in the middle with a large paper crown on his head. It was so large that it hung lopsided, only being held up by one ear. Another appeared to be from a few years earlier. He was making a face with his eyes crossed and his tongue stuck out. It was incredibly childish and silly, but that was the point.

"Looking at these makes me wish I knew you guys then," Aria said softly.

Adriana looked up at her and smiled. "Life certainly would've been different then."

Aria chuckled, nodding as well. "I can imagine a number of things that wouldn't have happened."

The two girls continued to look at the album for a few more minutes before Aria sighed, looking up to check the time.

"What time's your first test?" Adriana asked.

"It's in another hour," Aria said. "Wanna go get breakfast at the café on the corner?"

Adriana nodded. "I could eat."

Aria pushed off her seat and stood. "Great. Let's go get food."

_.,.  
><em>_I belong with you, you belong with me  
><em>_And my sweetheart  
><em>_.,._

Aria tapped her pencil rhythmically against her bottom lip as she looked around the room. Everyone else seemed to be finished with their test as well, which made the silence a simple formality, but somehow the reality that summer vacation was seconds away made them stretch out longer.

Her eyes drifted around the room as she sunk back in her seat, exhaling a relatively audible sigh. She glanced at Hanna, only to be met with the same expression. She raised her eyebrows at the blond girl, only for Hanna to do the same back at her. Both girls smiled, stifling chuckles.

"Alright, while I seriously doubt this is the case, pencils down." Ella called out from the front of the room as she stood from her seat. Aria turned her test over and checked to make sure she'd put her name on it before handing it over when Ella walked up to her. When she had collected all the tests, Hanna swiveled around towards she and Spencer.

"What'd you pick for thirty-five? I'm pretty sure I was wrong." Hanna said.

"B," Spencer said quickly. Aria nodded in agreement.

"I picked D," Hanna sighed, resigned.

Aria shrugged. "The test is over, Han. And you already know you're set. Everything's going to be fine."

Before Hanna could argue, the bell rang, ending the final exam period. Cheers erupted around Aria and her friends as they got out of their seats and headed for the door. Aria was slower, waving goodbye to her friends as they walked out of the room. She'd see them plenty in the next four days, and she only had a few minutes before she was supposed to meet for the graduation assembly.

"Shouldn't you be running out of here like everyone else and jumping for joy?" Ella asked as Aria walked up to her.

Aria shrugged, wrinkling her nose. "Why? So I can run off to the assembly? Or even better! Pack things into boxes." She exhaled a bored sigh, shaking her head. "Life is exhausting sometimes."

Ella chuckled. She walked around the desk and wrapped an arm around Aria. "Life should be the best it's ever been right now. Are you saying it's not?"

Aria shook her head, looking up at her mother. "No. I'm saying I don't want to pack boxes. I'd rather make them disappear."

"I'm sure they will in a few days," Ella replied. Aria raised an eyebrow at her, causing Ella to laugh. "Okay, maybe **weeks**. But there are good things that come with moving, too. You'll see that soon enough."

Aria looked at Ella skeptically for a few moments, only for the PA system to come on and tell the seniors that they needed to be in the auditorium. Aria sighed.

"That's my life calling," she said. "Can we have dinner tonight or something, though?"

Ella nodded. "Of course. We can do as much as you want for as long as you want."

Aria smiled back at her mother and turned towards her. They enveloped each other in a hug, and Aria wrapped her hands in tight fists around Ella's shirt, inhaling a deep breath. Like everything lately, there was something that felt final about this, and she was sure that part of it was because of graduation. However, there was another part of her that felt like things would never feel this innocent, pure, real…ever again.

After a long thirty seconds, she they released each other, and Aria turned and walked out of the class room. She inhaled a sharp breath and forced a smile on her face, passing through the younger students heading in the other direction.

She attended the meeting along with the rest of her class and then headed back through the school hallways to her locker for the last time, simply to make sure she had everything she needed. As she closed the metal door, she turned around and leaned back against the cool lockers. It was in the high seventies outside and cloudless.

She looked down the hall towards her mother's classroom door and couldn't help but smile.

"_I've been calling you all morning. Where are you," she inquired nervously into her phone. _

"_I was talking to the principal," Ezra whispered back. _

"_What happened?" _

"_I…I just gave my resignation." He admitted softly as they came face-to-face in the hallway. He pulled the phone away from his ear and she did as well, coming to meet each other fully in the middle of the hallway. _

"_Ezra?" _

_The relieved chuckle from his mouth was the last thing she expected. "Hollis offered me the job."_

Aria steeled a glare at him and shoved him as hard as she could in the shoulder. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Ow! That hurt!" He whined.

"_I don't care," she argued back. "I don't care. The cops, the ten messages you sent me. Does that ring a bell?" _

"_I'm sorry," he whispered back quickly. "I panicked last night because the guy was standing in my doorway asking questions about a student." The bell rang and he tossed his head in the direction of the classroom, signaling for them to walk. _

_Aria looked around stealthily and followed close by him. _

"_We're fine," he said softly as he stared at the floor. "It wasn't about you, it was about Spencer and the trophy and props, and I…" His voice trailed off and a smile crossed his face. "Aria, I'm not going to be your teacher anymore. We can grab a cup of coffee, go to a reading. We can…live outside my apartment." _

_Aria laughed softly, smiling happily at him. "I'm sorry I punched you."_

_Ezra 'mmm'ed softly, giving a slight nod._

_She paused for a moment, and her expression shifted to something of a different nature. "Professor Fitz."  
><em>

_Ezra turned towards his desk, picking up a book to appear busy as a student walked into the room. "So, I'll be attending the faculty mixer at your house tonight."_

Aria nodded, quickly shifting gears and following along with him. "Right. I'll give you the tour. I'll show you my room," she said with a knowing smirk.

_Ezra looked up and cleared his throat nervously, barely managing an 'okay then' as she turned to walk out of the room. _

A text message brought Aria's thoughts out of her head. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and her brow furrowed as she saw that it was her mother. She tucked it back into her pocket, feeling cheerier than she had a few minutes earlier.

She walked over to the classroom and opened the door, popping her head in. Since the school year didn't technically end for another week for the rest of the student body, her mother was in the middle of teaching a class of sophomores, although what they were technically doing was watching _To Kill A Mockingbird. _

"What's up?" She whispered softly as she walked over to the desk.

Ella stood from her chair and lifted a finger, telling Aria to wait a moment. She walked into the office for a few moments, and walked back out a bit later with a carry-out container filled with food from The Brew.

Aria's eyebrows raised as Ella walked over to her and handed her the tray.

"I know you weren't feeling so great a little while ago, so Zak brought this over. He said it's all your favorites," Ella explained as she handed Aria the container. Aria looked down into the container and smiled. There were berry muffins and scones, along with brownies, mini pies, and plenty of other kinds of pastry.

Aria stomped her feet and squealed, causing the students to laugh at her. She quickly hugged Ella thankfully.

"I'm gonna get coffee before I go over to Hollis so I'll thank him in person, but this just made my day better, so thanks," Aria said happily. "I'm gonna go before I become more interesting than the movie."

Aria left a few moments later and walked to the parking lot. Once she was in her car, she retrieved a muffin from the tray and placed it in her free cup holder next to her seat. She picked pieces off here and there as she made her way through Rosewood. When she arrived at The Brew, she picked the muffin up from the space and got out of the car . She walked into the café and over to the counter.

"Hey, Em," she greeted her friend with a confused expression. "You're at work already?"

Emily shrugged. "Someone called in sick, and I was offered double-time to cover the shift, so why not? Did you want something?"

Aria nodded before looking around the café. "Can I have a vanilla frappe?"

"Yeah, I'll get that right away," Emily said as Aria pulled money from her pocket. She handed it over to Emily and then looked around again.

"Where's Zak?"

"In the back," Emily replied as she handed Aria her change. She walked over to the ice tray. "Did you need to talk to him?"

Aria nodded.

Emily picked up some of the ice cubes and dumped them into a cup and settled it on the counter before walking over to the door that led to the kitchen. She pushed it open and called Zak's name, and a moment later they both exited the doorway.

"What's up?" Zak asked as he walked out into the story. Emily pointed towards Aria.

"Hey," he greeted cheerfully. "I see you got my package."

Aria nodded, smiling. "That was really cool of you. Thanks so much."

"Anything to help," he said. "Your mom showed me some of your essays this semester so, y'know, when you write your first book, I will personally fund your sugar highs if needed."

Aria laughed. "Thanks. I'll totally hit you up someday. The Brew better not ever close."

Emily walked over a moment later and placed Aria's frappe on the counter. Aria thanked her and then waved to she and Zak before leaving the coffee shop.

When she got to Hollis, she made a straight shot for Ezra's office. She past a myriad of other offices filled with boxes from teachers closing up for the summer.

As she rounded the corner to walk to Ezra's office, she was stopped by someone calling her name. She turned on her heel and her brow furrowed slightly at the sight of Byron standing in his doorway.

"Can you come in here quick?" He asked. "I have something that belongs to you."

Aria looked back down towards Ezra's door and considered the option for a moment. Things never went well when it came to Byron these days.

"It'll just take a moment," he said, causing her to look at him once more.

"My hands are a little full," Aria told him as she looked down at her takeout container and coffee. She'd since finished her muffin.

Byron nodded, going back into his classroom. Aria stood there for a few moments longer, and then he reappeared holding something she'd long forgotten about.

"It's been here since last year," Byron said as he walked over to her, and then subsequently followed her to Ezra's office. "I always meant to give it back to you. I suppose I was hanging on to it to have a piece of you around," he said. "But it's yours."

Aria nodded, looking at the stool. She hadn't given it any thought in months. It seemed that from one thing to another, she'd never recalled that she hadn't ever picked it up. "Well thanks," she said softly. She turned the door knob on Ezra's office door open and then slipped a hand under the seat and took it from Byron.

She walked into the office a moment later and furrowed her brow at Ezra laid out on the couch.

"Feeling lazy?" She teased.

He shrugged, sitting up. "I've got about an hour before my next class. The sooner I get these graded, the sooner I can be done with them." His brow furrowed as he looked at her hands. "What's all of this."

Aria walked over to the coffee table and settled the stool next to it. "This is my art project from last year. Apparently my father has been holding it hostage." She placed the takeout container on the table in front of Ezra. "And this was a 'cheer up' gift from my mom and Zak. The berry muffin is to die for."

Ezra opened the container and picked up one of the muffins. He sniffed it and then took a tentative bite out of it. He chewed for a few moments before smiling. "I approve."

Aria chuckled, walking around the couch and sitting down next to him. She curled one of her legs under herself and rested her head against her hand as her elbow pressed into the shoulder of the couch.

"I'm proud of us," she admitted.

Ezra's brow furrowed. "For what?"

"Because we've made it this far," Aria told him. "We made it to graduation, and we're happy. That's a big accomplishment."

Ezra smiled at her, nodding in agreement. He leaned forward and kissed her chastely. "I'm proud of us too."

Aria leaned forward and placed her frappe on the table before she reached her hand up and cupped Ezra's cheek, pulling him back into another kiss. He slipped his hands around her waist and kissed her more fully for well over a minute before the two finally separated.

"Did I say I love you yet today?" Aria asked.

Ezra shrugged, smiling back at her. "I don't remember."

Aria laughed. "I love you, more now than I ever thought of back way back then."

Ezra's brow furrowed of the use of the word 'then', but for Aria, there was a clear set of moments from way back in the beginning of their relationship that she could recall. Times when she never thought there would be an ability to love him more than she already did. Somehow she always managed to prove herself wrong.


	29. Heaven Knows It's A Crazy Ride

**A/N: **Forgive me if the next few chapters feel more scattered than usual. They're a collection of moments that culminate in the ending of this leg of the story, but it's a bit of a pain tying them all together.

Also, I would like to add in that I recently posted on my tumblr that I will be taking a hiatus from writing my current stories. I could write you a novel as to why but the truth is that my passion for what I write has been waning for some time now, and I want to be able to do my stories justice. There's a longer explanation on my tumblr page.

Furthermore, my tumblr is no longer open to questions. This has nothing to do with you guys, rather someone else in my past who felt that it was the mature adult thing, to send anon-hate. In any case, any questions you have will have to come through here or on twitter :) That's all.

_Chapter 29_

_Heaven Knows It's A Crazy Ride_

Aria nursed a cup of what she was pretty sure was spiked punch as she looked around the grill. The place was filled almost to capacity with her classmates. Of the three hundred in her graduating class, there were at least two-thirds of the students already in attendance.

She looked down at her blue summer dress and brushed a hand over it as if she was searching for any sight of a stain or tear. She'd had to struggle to get over to the punch bowl to begin with, and people were standing around the floor of the restaurant for the most part instead of sitting in booths or at tables, which all had been pushed against the wall. She knew normally that the owners wouldn't like that, but one of her fellow classmates was the daughter of the owners, who had inherited the business from grandparents a few years back.

She wasn't even quite sure why there was a punch bowl when the kitchen was open and staffed, though she suspected someone on the lacrosse team had set it up to circle alcohol through the party. Aria exhaled a soft sigh and looked through the crowd until she spotted Spencer and Emily relatively close by.

Aria walked past a group of girls who'd been on the yearbook staff and stepped up next to Spencer a few moments later.

"Where were you?" Spencer asked.

"I went to get a drink," Aria replied, lifting up the red plastic cup towards Spencer. Spencer's brow furrowed and she leaned down to sniff the cup.

"There's alcohol in that, and from the smell I'd be willing to bet it tastes like gasoline," she said disgustedly.

"Glad to know I wasn't just thinking the punch had an off flavor," Aria said. She turned around and spotted a trash a few feet away. She walked over to it and dumped the cup into it before dropping it in, empty. She walked back over to her friends. As she reached them, Paige and Hanna walked up.

"Where's Caleb?" Aria asked.

Hanna shrugged. "He's running late. His mom set something up with a phone interview for some business who's interested in him in Montecito."

Aria nodded. A moment later, Sean and Noel appeared behind the girls as Paige and Emily were greeting each other.

"Which one of you spiked the punch?" Spencer asked before either one of them could speak. "Because I'll have you removed unless you get rid of it."

Noel and Sean both shrugged.

"I think it was one of the guys on the football team," Noel said. "The Marshall kid. He had a flask on him when we first showed up."

Spencer huffed before marching off in the direction of the person Noel was referring to. Hanna disappeared a moment later with Sean as well, and as Aria turned to talk to Emily, she saw that she too was busy, chatting with Paige. She couldn't really blame her friends, either. This was a last hurrah for most of the people in the room.

"So, Montgomery," Noel said, catching her attention again. She looked up at him curiously.

"Hmm?" She asked.

Noel shrugged, stepping into the spot next to her where Spencer had been a few moments earlier. "Just thinking back to last year. Y'know how things went down and how they could've been different."

Aria nodded, though she was sure that Noel was probably recalling things in a different way. She looked up at him more clearly two seconds later. "Things not going well with Jenna?"

"We broke up," he admitted with a nod, looking down at her. "Going to different schools and pursuing different avenues; all of that good stuff." He paused for a few moments, and his eyes seemed to fall to Aria's side. She looked down and saw her ring. She glanced back up at him.

"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if we'd happened before Iceland and Alison and all of that?" Noel asked.

Aria shrugged, reaching her hand up to brush her fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face. "I used to; very early on last year. But things have changed. You should embrace that."

Noel nodded again. "Yeah. Well, um…y'know, I'm sorry for any and all trouble I caused for you and Fitz. You seem happy and after all the crap…You deserve it."

Aria granted a small smile as she looked up at Noel. "Thanks." She paused for a moment and considered her next thought for a few moments before deciding she should say it anyway. "And thanks for not being a psycho stalker."

Noel's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked down at her, before he seemed to recall the situation with Maya from the year before. He nodded after a few seconds of awkward silence. "My pleasure, I guess."

He walked away from her a few moments later, and Aria looked around the party once more in search of her friends. Before she could spot any of them though, Hanna walked up to her and wrapped her arms tightly around Aria.

Aria chuckled as she hugged Hanna back.

"Why the sudden rush of emotion?" Aria asked after a few seconds of silence.

"You're leaving too soon," Hanna told her. And there in those words, Aria understood the hug. So instead of releasing her blonde friend, she held her tighter, taking in everything about her. From her bony structure, to the scent of her strawberry shampoo, to the Dark Kiss perfume that she loved so dearly. It occurred to her that she needed to take recollections like this with her from Spencer and Emily. These simple luxuries wouldn't be around in just a matter of a few weeks.

After well over two minutes, Hanna finally loosened her grip on Aria, though as they stood side by side, their arms were still linked around one another.

"When are you leaving for California?" Aria asked.

"The end of the summer," Hanna answered. "My mom is going to come out and help me get set up in the apartment my dad insisted on me getting."

Aria nodded. "Well apparently my summer is being spent at least partly in the Hamptons, so you should come."

Hanna raised an eyebrow at Aria, and Aria only laughed in response, resting the side of her head against Hanna's.

"Don't even ask," she said dismissively. "Just come hang out at the pool and the beach with me. Maybe we can even get into a little trouble."

Hanna laughed. "I'm sure I could muster up some fake ID's. We haven't had really good ones in a while, and with all the college parties we'll be attending…"

Aria squeezed Hanna tighter as her voice trailed off. She knew the feeling that Hanna was feeling, because she could feel it too in the pit of her own stomach. The realism that was becoming a life in college away from home burned brighter with each passing day. In a matter of weeks, she'd be split up from her friends into different cities and in different states, with only technology to keep their connections forged.

"I promise we'll all be friends forever," Aria told her, hugging her tightly once more.

_.,.  
><em>_I find myself attracted to my dilemma  
><em>_My dilemma is you  
><em>_.,._

Aria yawned as she walked into the apartment. She dropped her shoes halfway down the hallway and walked into the bedroom. Ezra was sitting up in bed watching TV. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey. How was the party slash dinner thing?" He asked.

Aria shrugged, walking over to the bed. She crawled up onto it and sat down next to Ezra, smoothing her dress down over her legs. "It was good. Sad, too. Everyone is talking about graduation and half my classmates are leaving on vacation for most of the summer." She leaned her head back against the wall, exhaling a heavy sigh. "And I'm feeling like…it hasn't really hit me that we aren't all coming back in September for another year together."

"Denial gets the best of us," Ezra said as he slipped an arm behind her, pulling her closer. Aria moved over on the bed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so sick of the boxes," she said, chuckling softly.

Ezra nodded, running his fingers up and down her back slowly. "Dre and Hardy took most of them when they drove up to New York earlier tonight."

"Are they coming back for tomorrow?" Aria asked.

Ezra chuckled. "I don't think there's a single thing on this planet that could keep Adriana from the graduation tomorrow. Have you decided what you want to do afterwards?"

Aria tilted her head back to look at Ezra, and she shrugged. "I know my mom wants to get dinner after. But after that, I'm up for anything."

"Well I know you're sick of all the boxes, so I was going to suggest spending a night or two with your mom," Ezra said softly. "I know it's not going to be long before we're gone, and even though it's only a two hour drive-"

"It means more to me than you could even begin to imagine," Aria said as she hugged him tightly. Ezra was slightly surprised by her sudden reaction, but he chuckled and hugged her back.

"I get it," he told her softly. "And I know with everything changing in the next few days, you need as much time as you can get. Dre and Hardy and I figured that we could get everything moved out of here, a little bit at a time."

"But then where are we going to sleep if you finish packing?" Aria asked.

"Well, they were thinking of coming back for a little bit every day, and taking the beds last. They already agreed to let us keep our stuff there for the week, and I should have the rest of the papers graded by then too, so we can either hang out here in Rosewood, or we can go to New York."

Aria nodded before looking up at Ezra. She smiled and leaned up a bit more, kissing him on the lips. Ezra brushed his fingers through her hair, holding her closely to him. After several heated minutes, the two of them parted. Aria reached a hand up behind her back and tugged at the zipper on her dress.

"Wanna get lucky?" She said, waggling an eyebrow at him.

_.,.  
><em>_I'll stay right here, up all night dear  
><em>_I'll stay right here, until you're right here  
><em>_.,._

Aria huffed as the skittering of her phone on the nightstand awoke her the next morning. She had known the inevitable alarm was coming. She had been the one to set it the night before. Still, somehow the prospect of dragging herself out of bed on a Saturday morning just didn't feel that appetizing.

She slipped a frustrated hand out from under the comforts of the blankets she and Ezra were still hiding under and grabbed her phone. Not bothering to check the screen, she tapped the first option that got the phone to stop making noise and pulled it into the bed next to her. Eyes still closed, she stayed there quietly for a few moments, hoping for a little more sleep.

All hope quickly faded away when a second alarm went off a few seconds later. Aria growled, opening her eyes angrily. She turned off the current alarm and then opened her alarm settings on her phone and made sure they were all turned off before tugging the blankets up over her head. She closed her eyes once again and laid in the silence under the blankets.

She quickly realized that any hope of getting back to sleep had disappeared with the second sounding of her alarm. She groaned as she turned over on the bed, frustrated.

"Shouldn't you be jumping for joy?"

Aria looked over at Ezra and furrowed her brow. "I thought you were still asleep."

Ezra shook his head. "I've been up for a bit now. Already showered."

Aria sighed. "I wish I didn't have to be up this early just to get everything done on time," she admitted. "It's Saturday, for God's sake."

Ezra chuckled. He reached a hand over and brushed hair out of Aria's face. "Well the sooner you get up and start moving, the sooner you can be back in bed sleeping."

Aria narrowed her eyes at him. "Haha. Very funny."

"I could always rip the blankets off you if it would help you to get moving," he offered.

Aria exhaled a frustrated sigh and then sat up on the bed. There was a t-shirt lying at the end of the bed that Ezra must've pulled out for her, so she grabbed it and pulled it over her head. She moved off the bed a few moments later and walked over to the bedroom door, pulling her bathrobe off the back of it.

"I'll be back," she murmured as she walked out of the room.

"Yep," Ezra replied, picking up an ungraded paper from the stack on the nightstand next to him.

Aria tossed her bathrobe on the counter and then turned the shower on, waiting a few seconds until it was a proper temperature before removing her t-shirt and stepping into the spray. She rolled her neck around and sighed as the water beat against her shoulders. It was a comforting feeling, which only served to make her want to crawl back in bed even more.

After five minutes of simply letting the water run down her body, she finally let her hair get wet completely and then grabbed the bottle of shampoo. She squeezed a dollop into her hand and returned the bottle to the shelf before stepping away from the shower spray. She lathered the shampoo into her hair, massaging her fingers against her scalp for a few moments before stepping back into the spray and rinsing her hair out.

She repeated the process with conditioner and then wet a loofa before pouring scented soap onto it. She scrubbed the sponge down her body from the top of her neck to the soles of her feet before rinsing off.

Aria turned of the water a few seconds later and stepped out of the shower. She dried herself off and then wrapped a towel around herself before grabbing a hair clip that was resting on the counter and clipping her hair up out of her face. Afterwards, she opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a facial scrub. She squeezed it out onto her hand and rubbed it over her face, massaging it into her skin for the allotted time written on the bottle before turning the tap on and rinsing her face off.

She pulled her towel off a few moments later to dry her face and then removed the hair clip, toweling her hair off a bit more before she tossed it into the hamper and pulled on her bathrobe. She walked back through the apartment to the bedroom and opened several drawers in the dresser. She pulled out clean lingerie along with a pair of grey cotton short shorts and a clean t-shirt.

"What time do you have to be at the beach?" Ezra asked as he marked a the paper he was grading with red marker.

"Six-thirty," Aria said as she pulled on her clean clothes. "Half an hour after that, the commencement starts."

Ezra nodded. "Did you want to meet for lunch this afternoon?"

Aria shrugged, picking up her hair brush and pulling out the knots. "If you want. It's probably gonna be a group affair at Spencer's parents."

Aria's phone rang where it was left earlier on the bed, as if it knew she was talking about her friends. She walked over and picked it up, checking the text message. She looked up a moment later.

"I'm gonna go meet Mike for breakfast," she announced as she tucked her phone into the pocket of her shorts.. "I'll head over to Spencer's after, so I'll see you later?"

Ezra nodded, leaning over on the bed as Aria pushed her torso over as far as she could. They kissed quickly and then Aria smiled at him, murmuring 'I love you' to him. Ezra repeated the sentiment as she walked over to the bedroom door and pulled the garment bag holding her dress off the back of the door. She grabbed her still-wrapped graduation gown a moment later and tucked it between her arm and torso before walking back over to the bed. She picked up her laptop bag from beside it and her keys from the nightstand before turning and walking out of the bedroom. Near the doorway, she slipped her feet into a pair of sandals she'd left out the night before and then walked out to her car.

_.,.  
><em>_Can't believe she's gone, I can't believe she's gone  
><em>_I can't believe she's gone away  
><em>_.,._

The day passed quickly, and before Aria knew it, she was pulling on the blue gown she so detested. She realized that her family and friends were excited to see her be done with high school just like she was for Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, but there was no getting around her distaste of the outfit she had to do it in.

"How's your hair settling," she called out to the bathroom as she zipped the gown. The drive over to the part of the beach where the ceremony was being held was only a few minutes, and they had to be there in just under fifteen minutes. She picked up a lip pencil off the counter and ran the neutrally-shaded pink over her lips before rubbing them together.

The bathroom door opened and Hanna walked across the room, sighing. "It's not settling the way I want it to. I guess I should just get over it anyway, since I have to wear this stupid thing," she said as she picked up the cap and placed it on her head.

Aria chuckled at Hanna. "You look so cute."

Hanna glared at her and then rolled her eyes. "At least I'll blend in."

"And we can take them off as soon as it's over," Aria added.

"Are you two almost ready?" Spencer asked from where she was standing in the small kitchen of the barn.

Aria nodded, returning her makeup to her clutch. She closed it and then grabbed her cap off Spencer's dresser and walked across the barn. Hanna soon followed behind her, and then all four girls walked outside and around the Hastings home to their cars. One by one, they started their cars and exited the driveway.

Aria was the third to pull out behind Hanna and Emily, and Spencer followed soon after her. She knew they'd be scattered about in terms of parking, considering some families brought their cars to the venue earlier in the day to prevent having to walk so far, and with time cutting so close, all the close parking spots were likely to be taken.

The drive was short, and when Aria arrived, she found herself parking four blocks away. She pulled into the free spot and turned her car off before grabbing her clutch from the passenger seat and getting out of the car. She locked the doors and then closed her door before walking up to the sidewalk and heading towards the beach.

As she walked, dozens of other students and parents passed by her, talking and laughing as they rushed to get to where all the students were supposed to be gathering. Still, she didn't feel rushed to move any faster, knowing that she'd get there soon enough.

When she did, she found her mother standing near the quasi entrance, and walked over to her. A few moments later, Ezra and Mike appeared. They all greeted her and hugged her before Ella offered to take Aria's purse, as graduates weren't allowed to have anything with them.

After she'd left her family, she walked over to where she was supposed to be lining up and found Hanna. The students in her group got into proper order and then stood and chatted, until they were called upon to start moving.

It had been a matter of minutes, but felt as though everything was quickly passing in a blur as Aria made her way down towards the seats set up for the graduating class. They were on a lowly slanted hill that had a great view of the lake if one got close enough to it, but they were far enough away to ensure no one got wet.

After being seated, silence fell over the crowd as Principal Davis stood from where he had been sitting and walked over to the podium in the centre of the stage. He tapped the microphone to be sure it was on before clearing his throat. After another moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Welcome, graduates, friends, family, and townspeople to the commencement ceremony for Rosewood High School's class of twenty-twelve. We're glad to have you here with us today as we celebrate the achievements the students before you have accomplished."

Aria looked around as Principal Davis continued to speak. When he called for students graduating with honors to stand as their name was called, she rose to her feet along with nearly half of the other students. Afterwards, they all returned to their seats, and he called for the valedictorian.

Aria joined Hanna and Emily – along with a number of other students and families in attendance – in cheering as Spencer rose from her seat and walked up to the small stage. As she stood there, she was silent for the first ten seconds or so, leaving people wondering if she was nervous. But after a deep breath, she turned her attention to the flash cards in her hands – a 'just in-case' provision, rather than a necessity.

"One universe, nine plaents, 204 countries, 809 islands, seven seas: and I had the privilege of meeting you." She paused for a moment, and a small smirk played on her face. "But then, not really, right? Because here in Rosewood, meeting someone you haven't already known for years is rare. Just here in this graduating class, I can name every person in front of me, as well as most of their families. And for a small town like Rosewood, that isn't much of a surprise. We've been going to school with the same people since we were just little kids. We have grown together, most of us got the chicken pox together, and we've seen all the hardships and triumphs Rosewood has offered to this group of people, all together.

"So what is my point," she stated, glancing down at her flashcards only for a second before looking back up at the people in front of her. "Maybe today and yesterday, there wasn't much of a privilege in meeting the people who surround you. Maybe there's truth to the idea that because Rosewood is so small, that it was inevitable. But let me posit this: tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or somewhere in between, we are all going to leave this place and very likely end up somewhere larger. We will probably end up in different cities with populous in running well over ten or even twenty thousand, and in those places, having a rare privileged meeting with someone who forever changes your life won't be as likely. In a place like Rosewood, there is a feeling of community that doesn't necessarily reach to other places, and as you grow and move beyond this small town, forging those tight connections that are so easily found here will take longer. Finding your place in the status quo won't be as simple. But there are two simple things to remember in all of that. One being that expecting to find someone, thing, or place, who will change your view on the world is never found when you're looking for it. And the second is that home will always be here.

"So go ahead and reach out across galaxies to achieve what ever it is that drives your deepest desires because good result or bad, you'll end up exactly where you belong. And if you look to your left or right, you'll find exactly who belongs there with you, in that moment." She nodded her head in a half-second pause and then smiled. "Thank you."

Clapping and cheers erupted through the crowd as Spencer returned to her seat. After she did, the procession began, and row by row the students were called to stand and walk over the small stage where they received the cases their diplomas went into. Because the event was an outdoor occasion, diplomas were kept inside the rec room of the church across the street, and could be picked up immediately after the ceremony or later in the week at the high school.

When it came to be Aria's turn, she passed through the line of people whose hands she was supposed to shake and then made her way around the small circular boardwalk before pausing a few feet off it where they were stopped to be photographed. Afterwards, she returned to her seat next to Hanna for the remainder of the ceremony.

Finally, when the last of the students had returned to their seats, the principal called for all of the students to stand, and they were allowed to move their tassel from the left side to the right, concluding the ceremony.

Once again, cheers erupted around her, and Aria joined her classmates as they tossed their caps into the air. High school was officially no longer a requirement to any of them. They were now instead college freshmen.

After students began to head off in separate directions to find their families, Aria exited her row and climbed the hill in search of her family. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually spotted him just seconds before Mike and Adriana railroaded her, hugging her tightly. It was only for a few seconds though, because Mike quickly took off in search of Holden after that.

Aria walked over to where Ella, Ezra, and Hardy were all standing and waiting and greeted them once again, hugging each of them. Afterwards, they continued climbing the hill and headed across the street, where Aria and her mother went into the church to pick up her diploma. Upon exiting the building, they ran into Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Mona, as well as their families, and Aria was tugged into a set of group photos. The next half-hour passed with the four families taking picture after picture until finally they all headed off in separate directions.

Aria took her clutch back from Ella finally as they prepared to head off in the directions of their cars, and passed the diploma and its case to her in turn.

"Do you know where you want to go eat?" Ella asked. "Or we can go back to my apartment?"

Aria shrugged, bouncing lightly on her heels. "All I know right now is I have to pee."

Her family chuckled at her, but she only rolled her eyes. "Why don't we just meet at the grill in twenty minutes?"

"Alright," Ella replied. "Mike and I will meet you there."

Aria nodded and then dug into her clutch for her keys. When she looked back up, Ezra was the only one still standing by her.

"Where's your car?" He asked.

Aria pointed west. "Four blocks that way."

"Mine's three," he replied. "I'll walk with you."

Aria smiled at him and wrapped her arm in his, walking off in the direction of their cars. As they did, people passed by just as they had when she was walking to the beach earlier in the evening. They were giddy and happy as they walked by, clearly just as happy as she was to be free.

When they reached Ezra's car, Aria stood near him for a few seconds, taking in the current moment.

"Is something wrong?" Ezra asked as he unlocked the doors.

Aria shook her head as she wrapped her arms around his torso and looked up at him. "I'm really _**really **_happy right now."

Ezra smiled, reaching up and brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You should be."

"Not because of all of this," she said, waving her hand at the general idea of graduation. "But that it means there's no longer anything standing between us. **At all**. Everything is finally right were it should be."

Ezra leaned down and kissed her chastely before brushing his nose lightly against hers. "Yes it is."


	30. Keep On Dreaming Even If It Breaks Your

**A/N: **So here we are, 30 chapters later, at the close of this part of this series. I'm writing this just as I finished typing the last line at 5 AM on May 11th (which is like 3 weeks later than I wanted to be finished, but who's counting?). This story was started a little over a year ago, and there were times when it had faded from being at the centre of my heart because I started other projects. Still, I love it very much, and writing every chapter has been such a joy for me. This story was so much more than I ever planned for it to be when I started 40 Days And Counting back in 2011.

To be totally honest, that story started when I wanted to do something with the idea of Lights' song, and wouldn't you know, the acoustic version of that album just came out on April 30th, so it only seems right that I should reach the end of this so soon after.

I don't know when the next story (named **Forget You **after Cady Groves new song) will be up. I'll most definitely be starting it right away, but I would like to finish off at least one project before I get to posting it, just so I have a little more room to move. That said, enjoy. And for those of you who re-read 40 Days like it's the bible: Now you've got another story to re-read!

_Chapter 30_

_Keep On Dreaming Even If It Breaks Your Heart_

Aria yawned as she looked around the bedroom she had somehow been moved into the night before. The last thing she recalled was watching a movie with Mike on the couch in Ella's sitting room. She knew she must've fallen asleep at some point, but she had no recollection of moving off the couch or being moved.

The scent of coffee drifting under the doorway turned her attention, and she moved off the bed and moved towards the direction of the scent.

She walked out of the bedroom and down the short hallway into the kitchen. Her eyes were barely open, but she found her way to the espresso maker and picked up the cup sitting under it before walking over to the table and sitting down. She took several sips of the hot liquid in her hands and let it warm her for a minute before she began to open her eyes more fully.

Aria rubbed hand over her eyes and then rose from her seat and walked over to the fridge. She opened it and retrieved the cream cheese before closing it and walking back over to the table. She grabbed the bag sitting in the middle and opened it, retrieving a bagel from inside of it. She grabbed the bagel slicer from where it had been sitting next to the bag and pulled the slicer out. She dropped the bagel inside of it and then placed the slicer back between the two pieces of plastic that normally held it in place, pushing down until her bagel was cleanly cut through. She removed the slicer once more and then set it aside to remove the bagel.

Afterwards, she placed the slices on the table and then removed the cap from the cream cheese. It was pink from strawberry flavoring. She dipped a knife into it and then spread it across one slice before scooping more cream cheese out of the tub and spreading it across the second piece.

After returning the cream cheese to the fridge and emptying the bagel slicer of crumbs, she returned to her spot on the table. As she was chewing her second bite out the top half of her bagel, the door opened across the room, and Ella stepped inside, carrying a box.

"Hi," Aria muttered with a mouthful of chewed bread.

Ella looked up at her as she settled the box on the floor. "Hi. I see you poached my coffee."

Aria smirked at her, picking up the cup and taking a drink out of it. "Mmm," she moaned, pressing the issue.

Ella chuckled, pushing the door shut and crossing the room to the kitchen. She picked up the other half of Aria's bagel and took a bite out of it.

"I ran into Ezra at the school," she said when she'd swallowed. "He seems to think you'll be all packed up and ready to go tonight."

Aria nodded, taking another drink of the coffee. "He told me last night."

"Do you have any plans to come back to Rosewood after…?" Ella asked. Aria got the sense that adding 'after you leave' felt too final.

She shrugged. "Not this week, but I'm sure sometime soon. You should come to New York too."

Ella nodded. "I'm sure I'll be up there a few times this summer. Do you have any plans for today?"

Aria nodded, gulping down a third sip of coffee. "Em and I are gonna go take some flowers by Alison, and then we're gonna have lunch with Spencer and Hanna. I'm supposed to go by Hollis after that and see what's going on tonight."

Ella nodded again. She stood there for a moment, and Aria could feel the tension that was quickly becoming an awkward moment. There was obviously something her mother wanted to say, but whatever it was, the words weren't actually coming.

Aria sat there for a moment longer, and then got up, taking her coffee and what was left of her bagel with her. As she approached the sink, Ella finally spoke.

"Look, I know this year had been crazy, and at times it's been downright horrible, but I hope in the past few months-"

Aria shook her head as she turned around. "Mom, it really doesn't matter anymore. It's now how it used to be."

"You need to know-"

Aria sighed. "I **know**, mom. I know you're sorry, and I know you love me. I know that it's different here than it is with dad." She granted a small smile. "I've known all of that for a while."

Ella inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, nodding slowly. "I just don't want you to leave Rosewood thinking you don't have something to come home to. You'll always have someone."

Aria tilted her coffee cup back and gulped down the last of it left in the cup before placing it in the sink. She walked back over to Ella and wrapped her arms around her, careful not to get any cream cheese on Ella's blouse.

"I know," Aria said softly. "I've always known that."

_.,.  
><em>_If I can find my way home, will you take hold of me  
><em>_.,._

Aria brushed her hands down over the back of her skirt as she moved to sit down. She'd just come from The Brew to let Emily know that she was ready when the other girl was done working. Aria herself had put in her notice at her job just before finals and had received her final check the day before. She'd put most of it in the bank, except for enough to put gas in her car and to pay for anything she might want for the next few days.

She looked down at the hem of her skirt, and folded it back to its original spot. It was a dark chocolate brown shade with moderately thick material. She'd paired it with a cap-sleeved pink t-shirt that had brown polka-dots and a picture of a dinosaur on the front.

She turned her coffee in her hands as she watched the kids on the other side of the playground. There were still a few more days left to the school year, but most of the kids on the playground were of pre-school age and younger.

"Well if it isn't Aria Montgomery."

Aria looked up and smiled as Loretta walked towards her. "Hey."

Loretta walked over to the bench, though she didn't sit down. She glanced down at the cup in Aria's hands. "You know, when I let you go, I didn't intend for it to mean that you shouldn't ever come back, or start drinking coffee from the competition."

Aria chuckled, smiling up at Loretta. "I know; I didn't mean to stay away as much as I did. As far as the competition, my mom is kind of dating the owner, so…y'know…"

"Showing a united front," Loretta said as she sat down on the other side of the bench. She nodded. "I can see that. You still over at the mall?"

Aria shook her head, crossing one leg over the other. "I'm moving into a new apartment in New York City next week, so I put my notice in a few weeks ago. I'm taking the summer, and then I'm gonna do an internship at a publishing company. I mean, assuming they take my interview."

Loretta chuckled. "I'm sure that won't be a problem. They'd be stupid not to have you."

Aria blushed. "Thanks."

Loretta nodded. A moment later, she looked up beside Aria. "Hey, Emily. I haven't seen you in a while either."

"Sorry," Emily replied quickly. She looked down at Aria as she looked up at her. "I'm done for the day."

"Is the competitions coffee really that good?" Loretta asked, though she chuckled, showing her lack of anger.

Emily shrugged as Aria stood. "It's the same brand, so it's pretty good; those guys that only sell to independent companies – that's what he sells. He just hired me." She looked over at Aria. "Did you get to the florist yet?"

Aria nodded. "They're in the car." She turned back to Loretta and gestured towards her car. "We should go."

Loretta nodded, waving towards the two girls. "It was nice seeing you. Aria, you should stop in for some coffee before you leave."

Aria smiled. "I'll do that. Bye."

Aria and Emily walked back towards her car, and then separated when they reached Aria's. Emily walked over to her own car, parked a few feet away.

"I'll meet you there?" Aria called out to her.

Emily nodded. "I'm gonna run over to the florist next to the cemetery first, but I'll see you."

Aria nodded back at her and then got into her car. She pulled on her seat belt and then started her car, punching the button for the radio a moment later. She turned it up loudly and rolled down her windows to let some air in.

"_**I got a lot to say to you; yeah I got a lot to say…" **_

_Aria bumped her hip up against Spencer's as the two girls danced around, singing in Alison's bedroom. _

"_Training to be future co-eds, girls?" Alison said with a laugh as she flounced over to her bed. _

_Aria stuck her tongue out at Alison, picking up the cup on the nightstand. It was a mix of rum and coke. She took a sip of it. _

"_Well that's definitely a yes for Aria," Spencer laughed as she walked over to the bed and sat down next to Alison._

"_Oh I'm just having fun," Aria said dismissively. "Where's Em?"_

"On her way," Alison replied. "And then we can go."

_"Go where?" Aria and Spencer asked._

"_College party," Alison said, as if it should have been obvious. "Where else, sillies?" _

Aria turned her car off as she reached the cemetery. She unbuckled her seat belt and pushed her car door open, holding her car keys on a loop around her finger. She pushed her door closed behind herself and then walked to the end of her car. She opened the backseat driver door and opened it. She picked up the flowers she'd gotten earlier and then closed the door and hit the lock button on her key fob.

She turned around and walked across the grass until she reached the dirt path into the cemetery. She walked up a dozen rows and then turned and pass down a few gravestones before turning. She stepped around a tree, and three gravestones over, she knelt down. An empty vase rested next to the gravestone.

Aria picked it up and walked over a few feet to a fountain. She filled the vase halfway and then placed the flowers in it before walking back over to the grave and settling the flowers on the ground next to the gravestone.

She knelt down, being careful not to sit on her skirt. "Hey Ali. I know it's been a while since I came by, but finals and graduation just happened, and Ezra and I got engaged…" She sighed as her voice trailed off. She bit down on the inside of her bottom lip. "You know, Ezra's sister Adriana's been going nuts with coming up with my wedding plans, and I love her for it. But there's this part of me that keeps wondering what you'd be planning if you were here." She laughed softly. "I'm sure you'd be so into all of this."

She inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves knotting inside of her. "Look, you'll probably hate me for this, and you should, but I'm not gonna come around very much anymore. Ezra and I are moving to New York, and I know that Labor Day is…" She paused, shaking her head at herself. "Anyway, it's my anniversary with him. And I've got to focus on the good now."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the marble stone quickly before pushing herself up and dusting the dirt and grass off her knees. "I'm sorry."

She turned and walked back to the aisle, breathing several deep breaths before she looked around. She spotted Emily a few rows down, almost on the other side of the cemetery.

She walked through the trail and then passed through the rows until she reached Emily. As she did, she could hear sniffling.

"Awe, Em," she murmured softly as she slipped an arm around her.

Emily turned towards her and Aria hugged her tightly.

"Shh," she murmured softly, rubbing her hands up and down Emily's back. "It's okay."

Emily shook her head, pulling away. She wiped the tears off her face. "No, it's not. It's been a year."

"That doesn't change anything," Aria argued. "Losing people hurts, no matter how much they hurt us while they were alive. I think Alison taught us all that."

Emily let out a soft laugh, nodding. "Yeah, I guess she did." She breathed in deeply and then sighed. "I just…I don't understand why Maya did what she did."

Aria rubbed her hand up and down Emily's back again before slipping her arm completely around the taller girl and pulling her closer. "You might not ever. Sometimes I still don't understand the things Alison did."

"Me either," Emily muttered softly.

A quiet beat passed, and then Emily wiped her face before pulling her phone out of her pocket and checking the time.

"I have to go meet Paige," she announced, if not a bit suddenly. "When am I gonna see you again?"

Aria shrugged. "Are you free Saturday?"

"As far as I know," Emily replied. "Why?"

"Adriana's decided to throw this cookout slash pool party thing for Ezra's birthday. I'll e-mail you with the details. But I figured it'd be a good way to put a fresh perspective on everything, considering how much it's all changing."

Emily nodded. "That sounds good." She looked down at her phone once more. "I'll see what I can do, but send me the details anyway. I'm sure if I'm busy I can move plans around."

"Well bring Paige with you if you want," Aria told her. "I'm sure no one will mind."

Emily nodded again. She hugged Aria quickly and then walked away, heading back towards her car.

Aria stood in front of Maya's grave a few moments longer, staring down at it for a moment. It broke her heart to know that Maya's death still affected Emily, but she knew that at the core of it all, there was very little that she could do to help. Emily had to come to closure with it all in her own time.

After two minutes, she exhaled a sigh and then turned on her heel and walked back to the dirt path before making her way out of the cemetery. She walked back to the street and then made her way over to her car before getting in and starting it. She pulled her seatbelt on and buckled herself in before checking her mirrors and then pulling out onto the road. Her radio played loudly once more, blasting a song about partying and having a summer fling.

"_**Girl, you make my speakers go boom, boom…" **_

"_Who knew Ezra Fitz listened to country music?" Aria teased as she pushed his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, glancing over at her with a suggestive smirk. His logic for music talking about summer time was beyond her, considering there was snow on the ground, and Christmas was just days away. _

_He made a turn and pulled into an abandoned alley __–__ the same one that had been privy to their kiss after he'd picked her up in the rain a few months earlier __–_ _and put the car in neutral. _

_Aria raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a sultry look from the other side of the car where she was leaning against her door. He leaned over so far that she could feel his breath on her neck. _

"_Maybe I'm a little drunk on you," he whispered huskily._

Aria's brow furrowed as she pulled her car over to the side of the road, being careful of the rushing traffic around her. She looked behind her and in front of her across the intersection before she opened her door and got out and walked over to the street corner.

"Dre, what're you doing here?" She asked as she walked up to the smaller girl.

Adriana looked up at her, shrugging. She was standing alone near the corner in a green summer dress with her arms crossed as though she were frustrated with something.

"We were just finishing up with getting everything packed up," Adriana said. "And I couldn't help but think about all of this…" She looked up at Aria.

Aria nodded, looking back at the road. She could see the black spots where rubber had burned in the middle of the intersection, and the fresh paint on the stop light where it had been repainted. It had been a year – long enough for everyone else to forget about the accident that almost killed three people – but not nearly enough to erase the memories of being in that car with Ezra that day.

"It's been on my mind today too," Aria admitted softly. "I keep thinking about if that guy had been going just a little faster, or I'd been in the driver's seat…I run through that day over and over in my head all the time."

Adriana shook her head, sniffling softly. "It terrifies me to think about it all. I don't know what I would've done if you or Ezra had died in that accident."

"But we didn't," Aria reminded her. "We're both still here, and so are you."

Adriana nodded, looking back at Aria again. "I know." She breathed in deeply. "It's because of that, that I made a decision today. I've been thinking about it a lot in the last few months, but I'm sure now."

Aria's brow furrowed. "What's that?"

"I'm going to switch majors," Adriana announced. "Fortunately most of my credits carry over, which is good."

"So what're you going to do?" Aria asked.

"I'm going to become a doctor," Adriana announced. "And if all goes right and I don't fail miserably at it – I want to be a trauma surgeon."

Aria raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Are you sure you can handle all the blood and gore?"

Adriana laughed, nodding. "I'm sure. I've talked to my mom about it a bit, and she thinks it's a good idea if it's what I want. Hardy too."

Aria smiled, giving Adriana a sideways hug. "Then I support you too. And I know Ezra will as well."

_.,.  
><em>_The best buzz I'm ever gonna find  
><em>_Hey I'm a little drunk on you, and high on summer time  
><em>_.,._

_4 Days Later_

Aria kicked her flip-flops off as she walked out onto the cement next to the pool. Even though the Fitz family summer home was practically on the beach, it still came with its own pool and Jacuzzi. That fact alone still made her cringe when she thought too much about it.

She sunk down into one of the beach chair, pulling her feet up onto the towel she'd laid out when she first came out, trying to keep off of the heated plastic. It was only 1 PM and it was already going on eight degrees.

"When are you friends getting here?" Adriana asked as she looked over the magazine in her hands at Aria through shaded sunglasses.

"Hanna left Rosewood as soon as she woke up, so she'll be here soon. Emily is going to be here later because she's got commitments this afternoon. Spencer should be coming around sometime soon, though." Aria explained.

Adriana nodded before turning her attention back to her magazine. She let the heavier half flop out of her hand for a moment as she picked up the margarita she'd made for herself a bit ago. From what Aria understood, it was Adriana's first time actually drinking as a legal adult. But as she watched the older girl from her spot, she could easily see how the high life suited her; from her black and white bikini to the two-hundred-and-fifty dollar sunglasses resting on her face, there was a simplistic aura around her about it all.

Aria sat on her spot for a few more moments, contemplating what to do. Ezra and Hardy had gone out to pick up supplies for the party later in the day, and Valerie had jumped at the chance to get out of the house. Aria suspected that she missed being around her friends in the city, even though she was at least ten times cheerier than she had been the first time Aria had met her.

The evening would prove to be interesting though, as Adriana had informed her that well over a dozen of Ezra's friends from college and high school had already RSVP'd for the party. When she thought about it, she knew she shouldn't have been terribly surprised. Ezra had lived an entire 22 years of life before he'd met her, and was likely to have at least that many friends because of it. When it all boiled down to it, there were still things she didn't know about him. _People_ from his life that she didn't know.

Aria moved off her chair a moment later, deciding to focus on something else. She removed her shorts and the tank top she was wearing, revealing a white one-piece bikini with cut-outs on the sides and a lace fabric connecting the top to the bottom. She tossed her clothes up onto the lawn chair and then walked over the deep end of the pool. She crossed around to the far side so that she wouldn't get Adriana wet, and then stepped off the ledge and dropped into the water. Although initially chilling, after a few seconds it became comforting with the sun beating down.

When she surfaced, she looked around, confused that Adriana was no longer in her chair. A moment later, something grabbed at the back of her hips. She squealed and jumped away, quickly turning in her place. Adriana surfaced a moment later with a sly grin on her face.

"How'd you get back there?!" Aria squealed, rubbing a hand against the back of her hips in an attempt to get rid of the creepy-crawly feeling.

"I ran around the pool after you jumped in and just pushed myself in," Adriana giggled. "You made that so easy."

Aria rolled her eyes at the older girl, though she smiled anyway.

They both tread in the deeper end of the pool for a few minutes making small talk before the sound of a car door shutting perked up their attention. A few moments later, the sound of shoes clapping against the pavement grew louder before the person they heard finally came around the side of the house.

"Okay seriously a cop pulled me over three blocks away for not being a local."

Aria and Adriana both laughed as they waded over to the shallow end and got out of the pool.

"They do that a lot," Adriana said as she grabbed her drink from where she left it next to her chair.

Spencer removed her sunglasses and rested them on top of her head before walking over to one of the open lounging chairs. "He had the audacity to ask me why I was dressed like I was going to a frat party."

Adriana furrowed her brow as she sank down onto her chair. She picked up her phone to check the time before reaching into the bag she'd brought out with her and grabbing a bottle of sun block.

"Was he like five-seven? Dark brown hair? Extremely hot?"

Spencer rolled her eyes. "His attitude kind-of disgusted me."

Adriana giggled. "He'll be here later. Throw all his shit back in his face."

"If I don't throw a drink in his face first," Spencer muttered. "He'll be off duty, right?"

Adriana nodded. "I'd just make sure that you're quick getting away. He's thrown me in the pool a few times for getting back at him."

Spencer wiggled her eyebrows. "I ran cross country the last two years. He'll be lucky to catch me."

The afternoon passed in a more relaxed manner as the fell closer to the horizon and it began to cool down a bit. Adriana and Hardy moved the between the kitchen and back yard, grilling and cooking for most of the early afternoon.

By the time the sun had started to set, the back yard was filled with a number of people, and Hanna and Emily had brought Caleb and Paige with them. There were also a number of people that Aria knew were Adriana's friends since they had attended the wedding, but she didn't know very many of them.

"Hey, where's Toby?"

Aria turned her attention from the group of girls standing by Adriana next to the grill, back to her friends. Spencer was seated next to her on the side of the pool while Hanna and Emily were both in the pool. Paige and Caleb were a few feet away, talking.

Aria looked up at Spencer, furrowing her brow. "Yeah, where _is_ Toby? You haven't mentioned him much lately."

Spencer shrugged, though she was frowning slightly. "We'd been arguing a lot lately with the subject of moving coming up again and again. We decided to take some time off and figure out where we stand."

"Awe, Spence-'

Spencer quickly cut her friends off, shaking her head. "It's okay. I was sad, but I was sadder from all the fighting than I am now, because at least it's quiet. And we still talk and all that…We just don't know where to go next. We'll see what happens." She glanced up a moment later and grinned. "In the meantime, I see a cop who wants to be covered in ice water."

Aria raised her eyebrows at Spencer, but Spencer quickly shushed her as she pulled her feet out of the water and grabbed her towel from behind her to dry her legs and feet. She grabbed her empty cup from behind her a moment later and stood before walking around the pool to the back deck behind the house. She dipped her cup into an open cooler and filled it with water and melting ice before glancing at Aria.

Aria held a finger up for her to wait a moment and then spotted Ezra talking to Hardy. He glanced up at her a moment later, and she pointed to Evan. Ezra looked over his shoulder and spotted Spencer across the deck.

Hanna and Emily hopped up onto the side of the pool on either side of Aria to watch the action about to take place. A moment later, Adriana and several of her friends got into the pool and waded over to where Aria was seated with her friends.

"What's going on?" One of the girls asked. Aria knew her name was Katie. She had strawberry blond hair and big blue eyes, and also had apparently had a mad crush on Ezra a few years back.

"Spencer's getting revenge on Evan for earlier," Aria murmured softly.

"Oh I can't miss this," Adriana said as she pushed herself up onto the side of the pool next to Hanna.

Ezra walked over to Aria's lounging chair and picked up her drink, taking a sip out of it. A moment later, he walked a few feet back and waved Evan over. The other man walked away from one of their mutual friends and walked over to Ezra. The two began to talk, and he and Aria both glanced up at Spencer.

Spencer walked back off the deck onto the cement by the pool, being very stealth and normal to not attract any unwarranted detection. When she was within earshot of Ezra and Evan – a mere three feet away – she tilted her head to the side, gesturing for Ezra to step back.

"Rosewood was a slower pace I wanted at the time," he continued on as he glanced behind him and stepped over towards the grill like he was going to set his drink down. When he was a safe distance away, Spencer pulled her arm gently back so she didn't lose any water, and then threw it forward, splashing ice cold water across Evan's neck and back. His shoulders tightened and a smirk formed on Ezra's face as he began to chuckle.

Evan turned on his heel, staring at Spencer with surprised and slightly miffed expression.

"Payback is a bitch," she said blithe tone. A grin tugged across her face, and just as Evan dove towards her to grab her, she quickly jumped back before turning on her heel and running towards the paved sidewalk that wrapped around the house. He was quickly on her heel though, chasing her around the house.

Giggles and screams were all that was heard for a few moments while everyone waited for them to come back around. A bit later, Evan came back around the back of the house, apparently expecting Spencer to come through the house to the back. When he spotted her running back out the front door, he ran across the deck and hopped over it, grabbing the hose from where it was resting on the ground and pulled it back over the side of the deck, hopping back over it.

Spencer appeared the doorway a few moments later with a grin on her face, only to be quickly sprayed by ice water herself. The smile on her face fell into and growl as she grit her teeth together, turning to face Evan. A moment later though, she was struggling to hold herself together and keep from laughing.

Evan's mirth was too much for him to keep much of a handle on the situation and Spencer quickly snatched the handle of the hose from his hands before squeezing it and giving him a full-body wet down in a straight line from his neck to between his legs.

"Oops. Looks like someone had an accident," Spencer commented before tossing the hose onto the ground. She ran off the deck a moment later and jumped into the water, sending a spray of water over her friends as she cannon-balled. At that point, most of the back yard was laughing at the two of them, but it did nothing to stop Evan as he tore his shirt of his head and kicked his shoes off in one quick swoop before jumping in the water a few seconds behind her. He caught up to her as she reached the edge of the pool and backed her up against it.

Spencer and Evan grinned at each other as they stared each other down.

"Don't think you've won," he told her while clearly trying to keep from laughing.

"Oh, I'm sure you just need a breather." She replied snidely.

Evan furrowed his brow at her. "Really?" He quickly squeezed her side and Spencer squealed with laughter.

Aria stood from her spot and walked over towards Ezra, slipping an arm around him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her.

"Happy birthday," she said softly, smiling up at him.

"Thank you, baby," he replied. He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. "I don't think I've seen Evan pursue someone that much in years."

Aria giggled, looking back over at the two in the pool. "I think Spencer's having fun." She inhaled a deep breath and looked around them. "If this is any sign to what this summer is going to be like, I can't wait."

"I was thinking more along the lines of the rest of our lives," Ezra said softly.

"Really, do you two have to talk like a romance novel right behind me," Hardy asked as he turned to face them.

"You about finished there?" Ezra asked, changing the subject.

Hardy moved a few steaks onto a plate and set them on the side of the grill before turning the knobs under it and pulling the lid down. "That was the last of them."

Ezra glanced back at Aria and she just smiled back at him.

"Good," he said. He glanced down at the brace on Hardy's knee. "Why don't we find out how that brace takes water?"

"What're you-"

Before Hardy could say anything else, Ezra and Aria had each grabbed and arm and started tugging Hardy towards the water, even as he tried to plant his feet.

"Oh c'mon fighting won't help you," Aria told him as she continued to tug.

"Seriously, you guys, I'm sorry," Hardy said.

Ezra glanced over Hardy's shoulder and laughed at his sister walking up behind him. "Sorry's not gonna cut this one."

A few moments later, Valerie gave a generous shove behind him, and Aria and Ezra released their grips on his arms as he stumbled forward. He seemed to be catching his footing just a few inches from the edge, so Ezra gave another generous shove and watched as he toppled into the water, falling chest-first.

"Ohhhh," Valerie said with a cringe on her face. "That sounded like it hurt."

"He'll survive," Adriana laughed as she walked across the pool, brushing Hardy's matted hair off his forehead as he wiped the water from his eyes.

"Don't expect that you'll just get away with that," Hardy said to the three still standing on the deck as he turned around.

"You'll have to catch us first, Gimpy," Aria teased.

Hardy scowled at her. "I thought we were in this together. Solidarity and all of that."

Aria shrugged, looking up at Ezra with a smirk. "Sometimes I have to take his side. You know, I wouldn't want to appear biased."

Hardy rolled his eyes at her, though his attention was quickly pulled away by Adriana. Aria and Ezra both laughed at them, simply because of how easily Hardy's own words could be put right back onto him.

The evening continued on in a happy manner, and by the time the sun had set, drinks were flowing generously. Adriana and her friends had set up a makeshift bar on the back deck, with the requirement that anyone who drank was in charge taking care of their drink and anyone caught with any kind of drugs would be kicked out. The only person who opted not to drink was Valerie, though she ended up leaving not long after dinner to spend the night at a friend's place a few streets over. Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily had their own drinks, but were smart about the alcohol consumption.

Ezra sunk down into the water next to Aria, exhaling a soft sigh as the warm water splashed up against his shoulders. It was just beginning to get cool enough that the hot tub felt like a worthy choice. He took a sip of his drink and then settled it behind Aria.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked as she moved her cup in gentle circles as she held it around the rim.

Ezra nodded. He glanced at her cup, seeing the margarita that Adriana had made for her. "You know, it occurs to me that we've never drank before together."

Aria shrugged. "Alison used to steal it all the time from her dad or Spencer's dad's liquor cabinets."

"Have you drank at all since her death?" Ezra asked.

"Here and there," Aria replied softly. "All those parties in Reykjavik. And I mean there were a few parties when we started dating, but after I left my parents, I just didn't want to get into any trouble I couldn't fix. So, I really haven't been near alcohol since last summer."

Ezra nodded, staring at her curiously for a moment. "Dare I ask if you get frisky when you're drunk?" He teased.

Aria laughed, shaking her head. "No, but I'm apparently flirty. So, y'know, small talk." She leaned in closer to him. "And maybe you will actually get drunk on me a few times this summer."

Ezra groaned, but just as quickly as she had teased him, she shoved her drink into his hands and stood, walking out of the hot tub. Before he could ask her where she was going, she ran over to the pool and cannon-balled into it, sending a shock through her body from the sudden change in temperature.

Ezra laughed, getting out of the hot tub a moment later. He grabbed his drink and walked over to the pool. He settled the drinks onto the side of the pool and then sat down before hopping into the water before grabbing their drinks a moment later. Aria waded over to him and grinned as she took her drink back.

"Needed a quick cool down?" He teased.

"Absolutely," Aria said breathily as she leaned against the edge of the pool next to him. She glanced over at her friends and chuckled. Emily and Paige seemed to be having fun, as they were sitting on the edge of the pool a few feet over laughing and sharing a drink. Hanna and Caleb were directly across from she and Ezra, practically tearing each other's clothes off. Spencer and Evan were somewhere between them, and Evan had his arm around her, chatting her up as she continued to sip from her drink. Aria could tell just by watching her that her frustrated attitude from that afternoon was gone and she was genuinely interested in him.

She turned towards Ezra and grinned at him as he smiled down at her.

"What's going through your head now?" He asked.

Aria winked at him, leaning up against him to whisper in his ear. "Got any water balloons?"

Ezra chuckled, turning his head towards hers to whisper back at her. "A pool and hot tub aren't enough water?"

Aria shrugged, leaning back to look at him. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Ezra stared at her for a moment and then looked down at his drink. "At the bottom of this cup."

Aria giggled. She tapped hers up against his and then lifted hers to her lips and gulped down several large sips. "Then drink it and let's do this."

Ezra laughed, watching as Aria walked over to the shallow end and then exited the pool before heading for the pool. He tossed his drink back and gulped down what was left in it before following her into the house. When he got inside, she was digging through drawers, in search of the balloons. Ezra chuckled and walked over to one of the cupboards. He opened it and grabbed two bags filled with water balloons, and handed them to her.

They tore the bags open and Aria began to fill them with water at the tap as Ezra grabbed a large, colored mixing bowl to hide them in.

"What're you intending on doing with these?" He asked as Aria tied off a balloon and dropped it into the bowl.

"Keeping a handful for myself and throwing the rest in the pool, Aria said. "And then getting Adriana for pushing me in the pool before."

Ezra laughed, shaking his head at her.

They stood there and continued to fill balloon after balloon for several minutes before Aria walked over to the counter and grabbed a beach bag sitting on the counter. She filled it with water balloons and then she and Ezra walked back out to the deck. She slipped her bag behind the grill out of sight and held a balloon behind her as she walked up to Adriana Fortunately, she was seated next the edge, making herself an easy target.

Aria walked up to her and then called her name. When she looked up, Aria launched the water balloon at her. It smashed against her chest and splashed, stretched thin by the amount of water in it.

"Oh no, you did **not **just do that!" Adriana squealed.

"Oh yes I did," Aria said. She reached back behind her to grab from the bowl of balloons Ezra was holding, but as she did, a balloon splashed against her chest. She gaped at Ezra as he grinned at her. He tossed the balloons into the pool a moment later and tossed the bowl aside, holding a water balloon in his hand.

"Come and get me," he teased.

Aria grabbed back for her bag and snatched a handful of balloons before tearing off after him. She chased him around the pool, only to miss and hit Spencer, who quickly retaliated, and ended up hitting Hardy. In a matter of seconds, all of their friends were out of the water and chasing each other. And when no one could find water balloons to soak each other with anymore, they went for water inside cups, chasing each other across the property, inside the house, and back into the pool.

Twenty minutes later, Aria went down screaming as Ezra tackled her into the deep end of the pool, both of them crashing into it hard. She continued to scream and laugh as they came to the surface a few seconds later, and giggled as she looked up at him.

"Was that worth all the balloons?" He asked with a look of mirth on his face.

Aria nodded, struggling to catch her breath. "Except next time, we should fill them with tequila."

Ezra grabbed her hips and pulled her to him, kissing her. Aria wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back for a few moments before they parted, still trying to catch their breaths.

"My birthday so tops yours," he said with a laugh.

"My **year** tops yours," she told him. "I couldn't be happier in this moment if I tried."

Ezra just smiled back at her, brushing his thumb against her cheek before he leaned in and kissed her once more.


End file.
